A friend mentioned the other day over a piece of chocolate, that he was offered the lease for the Hard Rock Cafe building at Coconut
Grove in Kailua-Kona.
I always thought of the Hard Rock Cafe as a burger joint and tee shirt shop. A couple friends liked their burgers, a few would look at the rock memorabilia on its walls, some came to eat with an ocean view, and tourists came to say they had been there.
Management changed a few years ago, when the banjo player of the local group, The Voggy Mountain Ramblers, left town. He was also the manager.
After that I heard that the place was no frills, trying to meet its monthly sales quota.
Occasionally I would hear of an after-show party, where some out of town band who ended their show early,
would continue the party over at the Hard Rock.
(I never went to one, thinking the stars would show up fashionably late, if at all, and that it was mostly just a marketing ploy.)
I did go to see and hear a great Hawaiian steel guitar player from Kauai, Ken Emersion, perform there to an audience of six. I remember that the stage light flickered, having to shine through a moving ceiling fan. (I wonder if they ever fixed that.)
Anyway, if the space is being shopped around on the market, means that The Kona Hard Rock Cafe & T-Shirt Shop will be leaving us soon.
Maybe its like Hooters, who closed up and moved its operation to Honolulu. When I went into Hooters, the place was packed with families with young children, treating the place as a modern day Mel's Drive-in (or in Hawaii, its Verna's) (I miss those shakes.)
It may have been only the newness that brought in the crowd at Hooter's, and later the customers had slacked off. But I feel the place just didn't do what the corporate office had envisioned as Hooter's material, it was too wholesome in it's Kona, Big Island way.
Maybe, its the same with the Hard Rock Cafe, the shop in Kona
just doesn't meet the expectations of its
corporate office.
(Maybe a Whole Foods natural food store will take its place.)
Anyone ready for a gourmet burger overlooking the Kailua Bay? Get it while we still can.
(Artifacts include white guitar signed by Willy Nelson, under-garment from Madonna, guitar from Dick Dale, and an acoustic guitar signed by Jimmy Buffet.)
Plumeria flowers spread out, ready to be made into leis.
The reed back of a Hawaiian chair that can be found in the lobby of the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort.
Plastic flower leis as can be seen at Uncle Billy's Marketplace in Kailua Village.
Hawaiian musicians Braddah Smitty and Cyril Pahinui, keeping alive the sound of Cyril's father, Gabby Pahinui, both having played with the late great slack key master.
Sam Choy has been busy being a Hawaiian cooking celebrity, making guest appearances around the world.
Lyman pondering his life through a chocolate menu, saying he hasn't left his day job at Big Island Television.
A friend mentioned the other day over a piece of chocolate, that he was offered the lease for the Hard Rock Cafe building at Coconut 
Grove in Kailua-Kona. 
Management changed a few years ago, when the banjo player of the local group, The Voggy Mountain Ramblers, left town. He was also the manager.
would continue the party over at the Hard Rock. 
I did go to see and hear a great Hawaiian steel guitar player from Kauai, Ken Emersion, perform there to an audience of six. I remember that the stage light flickered, having to shine through a moving ceiling fan. (I wonder if they ever fixed that.)
just doesn't meet the expectations of its 
You can see Ernie Cruz Sr. with one of his daughters on Friday evenings at Rios, next to Coconut Grove's sandy volleyball court. 
Jon and Ric were giving the Easter eggs out at the Keauhou Farmer's Market, and told me not to take all of them. 
This is one of the few places where you can get chocolate (dark and milk) that is both grown and processed in the United States. 
Tiki Hartman was a famous hula dancer during the 40's and 50's, posing next to many servicemen for a photo to send back home to prove that they were indeed in Hawai'i.
Billy Kenoi was in town, meeting with his supporters, discussing his campaign for Mayor of The Big Island of Hawaii.
Shot on the grounds of Hulihe'e Palace, Drianna has always had a great personality. I still see her around town, but not doing hula at the moment.
This is one of the last images I took on the Captain Beans Polynesian Cruise. Its a portrait of Kaleiula, who was the last person to be in charge of the entertainment on the ship, ready to set sail in the Kailua Bay.
Rosalie sat on the same bar stool most evenings at Huggo's On The Rocks for quite for a few years, but the cost of the medication for her leg was dipping into her drinking fund, so she moved back to the more affordable Texas.
