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Tricky Hours for Starbucks Windward Mall

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This has to be a trick question or a problem to solve. What time does the Starbucks inside of Windward Mall open? The store locator site shows this.

Starbucks Windward Mall Hours
Starbucks Windward Mall Hours

So if I go on a Monday morning at 7:45am while waiting for a car battery change at the Sears Auto Center, it should be no problem right? Don’t fall for the obvious answer. The mall doors don’t open until 8am. Cut through IHOP you resourcefully say? Sorry, IHOP locks their interior doors and tells customers they can’t let people through until 8am. Supposedly, you could enter the mall through a service entrance if you know where they are, but still, should it be this hard to get to an establishment open for business?

Two-thirds of Starbucks Kaneohe Are Google-fied

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Did I mention that the Starbucks location at Windward City is now powered by Google Wifi? My last check in December 2013 confirmed wireless connectivity provided by attwifi. But during a recent visit to finish my hardcore dash of 2014, I saw the Google Wifi network show up.

Additionally, the small Starbucks inside of Windward Mall is also Google connected. Oddly, the third and seemingly busiest Starbucks location in Kaneohe, the one with the first 24-hour drive thru in Hawaii, is still not Google-fied. Here’s a SpeedTest comparison of Google Wifi versus attwifi.

Google Wifi SpeedTest
Google Wifi SpeedTest

The top two lines are from the Kaneohe drive thru location while the bottom line is from the Windward Mall location. Two out of three ain’t bad I guess.

Hokulani Bake Shop Now Open at Windward Mall

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You’ve been patient, and now you’re rewarded with pure deliciousness. The Hokulani Bake Shop has opened its latest location at Windward Mall. Gone is the wooden facade of Gloria Jeans Coffee replaced with the signature orange and white of Hokulani.

Hokulani Bake Shop Windward Mall
Hokulani Bake Shop Windward Mall

As you walk by their cupcake display case, how can you resist these temptations?

Cupcakes!!
Cupcakes!!

And that’s just a portion of their cakes. Here’s their full list of pure deliciousness.

Hokulani menu
Hokulani menu

Pure Deliciousness Coming to Windward Mall

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Hokulani Bake Shop coming…

So Fun Factory is coming to Windward Mall and right down the way, Hokulani Bake Shop is setting up shop. Remember the corner spot of Gloria Jeans née Scrambled née Mocha Java Cafe?

Yup, it’s getting remade into a spot of pure deliciousness in a scant few weeks. Come beginning of November, the Windward side can enjoy plenty of cupcakes from this longtime local favorite. Just in time for the holidays!

Soon More Fun at Windward Mall

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Windward Mall is maximizing its family friendly strategy by continuing to add stores aimed at kids. Joining the mall’s community will be Fun Factory.

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Future Fun Factory at Windward Mall

The factory of fun is opening on the floor level next to the kids play area. It’ll be in the space vacated by Koolau Pets.

A Sacrifice Was Needed

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With a renovated Starbucks and a brand new Starbucks in Kaneohe, you know something had to give to sustain the balance within the coffee universe. Unfortunately, this was the sacrifice necessitated.

Mocha Java Windward Mall Closed
Mocha Java Windward Mall Closed

Mocha Java Cafe in Windward Mall is now closed. I’m not sure when they closed, having bought a drink in August. I’m guessing the temptation of the SBUX siren came with a cost of not having competition a few scant yards away. So sadly, Mocha Java’s Windward run is over lasting nearly two years. They opened shop during a coffee drought in the mall and right before the holidays so shopping excursions were always caffeinated. I sincerely thank Mocha Java for chancing expansion outside of Ward.

Starbucks Windward City Renovated

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I was worried that the caffeine addicts in Kaneohe wouldn’t have enough sources. But then, the Starbucks inside Windward Mall opened, and the busy Windward City location finished its renovations and is also open to quench coffee cravings.

From the outside, everything looks the same at the Windward City Shopping Center.

Starbucks Windward City Reopened
Starbucks Windward City Reopened

The inside has adopted the modern rustic look like the Windward Mall location. Not as original as the Waikiki Park Shore store, more like the Kakaako store, but definitely different from its previous look. The seating has changed the most. Gone is the short, four-seat counter and barstools by the entrance, replaced by a counter that spans the entire window front.

sbux-windward-city-counter
Long countertop

The small, two or four-seater tables have been replaced by a massive single table.

Center table
Center table

The lighting also changed. I don’t remember what the lighting used to look like but now, there are incandescent or incandescent-looking bulbs with a branded diffuser.

New lighting
New lighting

But alas, my hope that this renovation would also bring in Hawaii’s first Clover brewing system wasn’t realized. The Aloha State is still Clover-less.

Starbucks Windward Mall Now Open

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sbux-windward-logo
The mermaid

As of Thursday, September 5, 2013, the Starbucks location inside of Windward Mall is open for business. A scant month ago, the construction sign was posted, and now it’s here, neighboring the Pa’ina Ko’olau food court.

This is the third Starbucks location in Kaneohe with the drive-through located across the street and the renovated storefront in the Windward City Shopping Center. The Windward Mall addition is on the small side, occupying a mere cornered angle of mall real estate. So far, there is no Starbucks signage, just the familiar mermaid logo identifying their arrival.

sbux-windward-front
Starbucks Windward Mall

Being new, this Starbucks has the modern rustic look that’s making its way through other stores. Shades of various browns, wood finishes, and tiled patterns appear to be the trend.

Starbucks Windward City, Kaneohe Closed?

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So I hear that the Starbucks at the Windward City Shopping Center in Kaneohe is closed for renovations. I haven’t yet verified this however.

This is a busy location and so is the other Kaneohe Starbucks across of Windward Mall. The new Starbucks inside the mall needs to open soon to better distribute the coffee load.

I wonder if Starbucks would consider installing a Clover at this renovated location. This would be the first in Hawaii, but I doubt the Windward side would be the beneficiary. Then again, the first drive through SBUX was in the 96744.

Future Starbucks at Windward Mall

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Here’s proof positive that Starbucks is headed to Windward Mall.

Coming down the center escalator, what’s that white walled off area?

What's that behind the white wall?
What’s that behind the white wall?

What does that sign say?

Can you read the sign?
Can you read the sign?

Yup, Starbucks coming soon.

Starbucks coming soon
Starbucks coming soon

And I know what you’re asking… where did Cinnabon go? Still listed on the Windward Mall web site, I didn’t see a relocation for Cinnabon, and I remember that the long time Kahala location also closed down. There are still Cinnabon locations at Pearlridge and Ala Moana, right?

Oh, and I don’t know when the new Starbucks location at Windward Mall is opening up. 😉

Well Played, Windward Mall

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Well played, Windward Mall, well played. Revenge has been exacted, and in this case, I am its target. I’ve poked fun at this caring mall in the past, but in recent times, Windward Mall has found its groove, catering to kids, families, and the community. New stores like Charlotte Russe and Sports Authority have come in and on-going is the popular indoor farmers market.

And now, now Windward Mall is vindicated with its upcoming addition of Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks is making a return to the mall after its days inside of the now closed Borders. The Star Advertiser says this is the mall’s first Starbucks which I guess is technically true.

I do feel bad for Mocha Java Cafe which has been filling the mall’s caffeine niche very nicely for the past two years.

Signs of Hawaii: U Down or Not?

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Look closely at this sign, and you’ll spot something out of place. But if you casually glance at the sign, you’d never know any better.

U Down Stickers
U Down Stickers

This has to be an alteration, but it looks legit, mimicking the typeface and size. On closer inspection, the modification looks like a sticker or actually two stickers since the trailing “s” is layered. Must say, that’s some detailed work. U down?

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