Monday, May 02, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

FEELING AT HOME: Desert Island

Strip businessmen catering to Hawaiian customers

The Hawaiian Marketplace uses live Hawaiian entertainment and decorations such as Tiki idols to lend an authentic island theme to the Strip mall, said spokesman Tom Latero. Photo by Samantha Clemens. The ABC Stores sell a variety of Hawaiian goods, from authentic clothing and souvenirs to snacks and foods. Many local Hawaiians, as well as tourists, frequent the Strip locations in Desert Passage and the Fashion Show mall, said general manager Miles Ohye. Photo by Samantha Clemens. The Hawaiian Marketplace, 3743 Las Vegas Blvd. South, is modeled after an outdoor mall in Honolulu, said spokesman Tom Latero. Photo by Samantha Clemens.

When he was a visitor to Las Vegas, one of Hawaiian native Paul Natto's first stops was at Long's Drug store.

There, he bought the Hawaiian foods he loved, such as manapua -- stuffed steamed buns -- or a wide variety of luau dishes that were hard to find in Las Vegas. The drug store was the only place in town that sold such items, Natto says.

Now, a Hawaiian visitor staying on the Strip doesn't have to look very hard to find those familiar island foods and snacks, thanks to a recent wave of Hawaiian-based or island-themed businesses opening stores in town.

ABC Stores, Maui Divers, Hilo Hattie, Yokohama Okadaya and Honolua Surf Co. are among the island businesses that have set up shop on the Strip in the past few years. There's even the Hawaiian Marketplace, a cluster of kiosks located under a canopy at 3743 Las Vegas Blvd. South. The open air mall is based on an identical one in Honolulu.

Over the past few years, there's been "a push to bring the island flavor here," says Natto, who moved to Las Vegas three years ago and publishes a newspaper, Hawaiian Kine News, that disseminates information of interest to Hawaiians who live in or visit Las Vegas. He also hosts a radio show, Big Aloha on KRLV-AM, 1340 and a television show on KVTE-TV, Channel 35.

Whether they're looking for some good beef jerky, macadamia nut cookies, Aloha wear or authentic Kona coffee, Hawaiians can find it on the Strip.

"Basically one of the reasons people come here is that comfort level. When they see someone from Hawaii it makes them feel somewhat at ease," says Miles Ohye, general manager of the three ABC Stores in Las Vegas, 3663 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 23 Fremont St. and 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. South. "A lot of what the customers want are things they miss from the islands. We were kind of able to fill that gap."

Historically, downtown Las Vegas has long attracted Hawaiian tourists and local island transplants, but Hawaiian visitors are starting to discover the Strip, says Steven Lum, a real estate broker and Hawaiian transplant. Though he's lived in Las Vegas for 19 years, he keeps up to date on the trends and preferences of island visitors because it helps his business. Every day he talks to several Hawaiians about Las Vegas and their travel preferences.

Lum has heard that Hawaiian visitors are choosing to stay at a handful of Strip properties, including the Monte Carlo, Stardust and Mandalay Bay.

"The reason they stay downtown is because that's where their friends would stay," Lum says. "They're getting braver and venturing out. The ones you see on the Strip are a little higher income. They'll pay more for their (travel) package. They may already have friends who live here; they're likely to rent a car."

Shops such as ABC Stores, located in the Fashion Show mall and Desert Passage in the Aladdin, appeal to those tourists because "they have to buy gifts to take home, that's part of the culture," Lum says. "They have to buy for family and co-workers. But that's only a very small percentage of the people who shop there."

Hawaiians choosing to shop at the Strip locations of island businesses instead of back home makes sense to Robert Kaskie, general manager of Cheeseburger at the Oasis in the Desert Passage at Aladdin, 3663 Las Vegas Blvd. South. The Hawaiian-themed restaurant is based in Maui, where Kaskie lived for several months.

"The reason is it's a lot more economical for them to come up from Hawaii and buy stuff," Kaskie says. "It's not cheap on the native people."

Ohye says he thinks that the Strip is fertile ground for targeting Hawaiian tourists and locals and that Strip hotels are recognizing the potential and strength of the Hawaiian market. But these themed stores don't exist on the Strip just to draw an islander clientele. Rather, they strive to appeal to the general public, as island themes are popular throughout the world, several managers say. It's the spirit of Hawaii, Ohye says.

"It's a combination of everything. We saw Las Vegas as a really good market. We thought we could bring something different to Las Vegas," Ohye says.

People love Hawaiian themes, says Tom Latero, spokesman for the Hawaiian Marketplace. In addition to the kiosks selling a variety of wares, management also offers live Hawaiian entertainment throughout the day. The open-air mall is also decorated in a way that hints at the islands, with Tiki idols and green foliage throughout.

"It's relaxing and people like that cabana style," Latero says. "We picked that theme because it's very similar to a lot of retail you see in Hawaii."

That doesn't really appeal to Hawaiians, say Lum, Ohye and Natto. But the development was only a natural progression, considering the ties Hawaiians have to Las Vegas, often called the ninth island by natives.

Also, many businesses have "already maximized their sales in Hawaii," Lum explains. "It only gets less than 7 million visitors a year. The only way for (business owners) to enjoy significant sales is to go into another market like Las Vegas, which attracts 37 million visitors."