Maui grocery store finds its niche

The family-run Takamiya Market is now in its 60th year of operation

HAPPY VALLEY, Maui » Jisho Takamiya wanted a better job than the one he had as an immigrant laborer from Okinawa working for Wailuku Sugar Co. on Maui.

Using land he bought in Happy Valley, his sons Jin and Kenneth along with son-in-law Seikichi Sakihara took over the operation of a small fish market in 1946 and expanded it into a modest grocery store.

Jisho's youngest son, James Takamiya, later introduced ready-to-eat packaged food for island-style tastes at Takamiya Market Inc. and developed Dani's catering business.

This month, owner-manager James Takamiya is starting his retirement and turning over the reins to a partnership that includes his daughter Michele Hondo, son David and nephew Lance.

"In a way, I'm kind of proud I lasted this long," said Takamiya, 75, who with his wife Susanne raised five boys and two girls.

With only about 2,000 square feet of space, Takamiya Market has managed to outlast many bigger independent family-run operations on the Valley Isle.

Takamiya remembers when aku boats once frequented Maalaea Harbor, bringing with them fresh fish, and how workers at pay day would visit the store and put in orders he later delivered by truck to sugar plantation camps.

Takamiya said his family's strategy has never been to compete against larger food stores, but to have a niche for providing quality products at affordable prices -- such as their teriyaki ribs and their assortment of fish, including sashimi, ahi poke, and dried teriyaki fish called "sakura boshi."

It's where many blue-collar workers living in Wailuku shop for their lunches and after-work pupus, and where the produce shelves are modest but sometimes include interesting additions, such as star fruit, fern shoots, taro leaves and watercress.

Customer Kuulei Gonzalez said she shops at Takamiya because of their specialty foods.

"It's really the only mom-and-pop store left that has great teriyaki plate lunches ... luau stew and kulolo," Gonzalez said.

The smell of fish is sometimes unavoidable in the store and the flooring is simple -- concrete with slip guard -- but the shelves are clean and the prepared lunches go fast. The store opens at 5:30 a.m. and closes at 6:30 p.m.

James Takamiya said at 15, he was a stock boy working every day after school.

Following high school graduation, he went to the mainland to learn to become a butcher, and with the retirement in 1972 of his brother Kenneth, James became the owner and manager.

For decades, James Takamiya has started his day early, about 1 a.m., making sure the produce is ready before opening the store.

Although he no longer works as the meat cutter or prepares the lunches, he knows every part of the store's operation.

"In a way, it's good to learn everything," he said. "Otherwise, you might not know when you're making money or not."

Takamiya said his successors have the training and bring with them a new kind of energy.

His daughter Michelle has worked as manager for Dani's for 20 years.

His son David works as the butcher for the fish and meat section of Dani's and Takamiya, and his nephew Lance, Jin's son, is the general manager and in charge of purchasing.

"I think it's good because they have new ideas," James Takamiya said.