Growing up, some of my favorite pit stops were at Maui’s old general stores. Like many locals in Hawaiʻi, I have fond memories of stopping by humble hole-in-the-walls to pick up fresh poke, a warm Spam musubi or maybe some butter mochi, too.
But most of all, I cherish these old family-run general stores because they serve as time capsules of the island’s past. From Olowalu General Store on the West Side and Hasegawa’s in remote Hāna to Fong’s on the slopes of Haleakalā, the shops reflect the needs of the local communities they serve today—but are also windows into Hawaiʻi’s bygone plantation era.
My fascination with grocery stores goes beyond Maui. I love wandering into bodegas in New York City, and even some big-chain retailers, like Wegmans on the East Coast and H-E-B in Texas.
Grocery stores are microcosms of neighborhoods, offering snapshots of what everyday life is like there.
According to Condé Nast Traveler, grocery store tourism is one of the hot travel trends of 2026. It has even become a TikTok craze, with more than 50 million posts related to grocery store travel.
Visiting a local grocery store can often reveal culinary customs and preferences, what’s grown in an area and what’s in season, and one-of-a-kind local finds. It’s an authentic, down-to-earth experience.
Condé Nast Traveler also reports travelers visit grocery stores to pick up edible souvenirs, or omiyage. Depending on the destination and length of your trip, you might find local honeys, jams, pastries and other treats to bring home.
Across Hawaiʻi, travelers can experience a taste of everyday life at local groceries and general stores. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Foodland, Multiple Islands
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
With the Lau family, Maurice J. “Sully” Sullivan opened the first Foodland in Honolulu in 1948. Since then, the business has become Hawaiʻi’s largest locally owned and operated grocery retailer. Today, Foodland has stores on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island.
You’ll find plenty of local favorites at Foodland, whether you’re craving a poke bowl, bento or quick snack. The supermarket also promotes the Maikaʻi brand, a Foodland label that features hundreds of products inspired by Hawaiʻi and the world.
From kettle chips and kaki mochi to jams and syrups, Maikaʻi has a variety of snacks and pantry items that are easy to pack home as edible souvenirs.
KTA Super Stores, Hawaiʻi Island
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
KTA Super Stores is another large Hawaiʻi retailer with humble roots. In 1916, Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi started a grocery and dry goods store in a modest 500-square-foot space in Hilo. Today, KTA operates eight stores across Hawaiʻi Island, carrying specialty and exclusive brands.
KTA is also known for its Mountain Apple Brand, a line of products grown, processed or manufactured in Hawaiʻi. More than 50 local vendors supply more than 200 Mountain Apple Brand food products, including fresh bread, cookies, coffee, desserts, poi and other Island-made food.
Olowalu General Store, Maui
This family-run convenience store has been a pitstop on the road to the Maui’s West Side since it opened in 1932. Make a stop to try one of the store’s famous red hot dogs and grab a Spam musubi, bag of boiled peanuts or butter mochi. The general store also has a unique collection of locally made products, in addition to souvenirs, snorkels, slippers and reef-safe sunscreen.
Pukalani Superette, Maui
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
Pukalani Superette has been at the corner of Makawao Avenue and Old Haleakalā Highway in Upcountry Maui for 60 years. But the family-run business dates back even further. The Tanizaki family operated a store in Wailuku, but a fire in 1927 prompted a move to Pukalani. A new, larger store opened there in 1955, when the name was officially changed to Pukalani Superette.
READ MORE: Visit Maui’s True Mom-and-Pop Grocery Shop
Today, the neighborhood store is a favorite for its grab-and-go foods, including bentos, chow fun and its signature chili chicken. It also highlights Maui businesses and brands. You can pick up S&J Bakery pies, pints of Roselani Ice Cream, and more.
Hasegawa General Store, Maui
The Hasegawa General Store has been serving the Hāna community for more than a century. Founded in 1910, the fourth-generation family-run shop is one of Maui’s oldest businesses and a Hāna landmark.
READ MORE: Discover One of Maui’s Oldest Family-Run Businesses
In the remote town famous for the precarious yet picturesque road that leads there, the Hasegawa General Store is an outpost for the community with an eclectic but practical mix of groceries, wines, spirits and tools as well as hats and postcards. You’ll also find items tagged “Uniquely Hāna,” highlighting products that aren’t available outside of the town.
Be sure to check out the T-shirts, which are some of the shop’s best–selling items.
Sueoka Market, Kauaʻi
Tucked in Kōloa, Sueoka Store has been a cornerstone of the community for more than a century. In 1918, Mankichi and Yoshi Sueoka started a small store for workers at the Kōloa sugar plantation camp. In 1933, Sueoka Market moved to its current location in the heart of Kōloa. After three generations of Sueoka ownership, the business changed hands to the Kosasa family, whose company, ABC Stores, has roots as a family grocery store going back to the 1930s in Kaimukī.
Today, you can shop for fresh produce and Kauaʻi specialties, like Kauaʻi Kookies and Goteborg musubi. Akin to the more familiar Spam musubi, this version swaps the canned meat for thin slices of Goteborg sausage. The round cuts of meat are topped with rice and furikake. Tucked on the side of the market, you’ll also find the Sueoka Snack Shop, known for its local plate lunches, with options like fried mahi mahi, loco moco, mochiko chicken and burgers.
Grace Maeda is the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.
