The distinctive blue umbrellas of the city's monthly Brunch on the Beach program will move to Kapiolani Park to cut costs, Managing Director Ben Lee said. Brunch on the Beach
serving up at Kapiolani ParkThe popular program will move from
its makeshift stage on Kalakaua AvenueBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.comThe switch will start with Sunday's program, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Royal Hawaiian Band, Halau Hula Ohana and Kapono will perform from the Kapiolani Park Bandstand instead of on a makeshift stage on Kalakaua Avenue, Lee said.
More than 10 food vendors previously stationed on the two ends of the event area will now be placed in a row on the makai side of the park parallel to Kalakaua near Monsarrat Avenue, while the tables, brunches and umbrellas for the public will go on the lawn near the bandstand.
City officials were worried some vendors might pull out of the event because they would no longer be close to their home bases at various Waikiki hotels, but none did, he said.
"That was kind of right there," he said, "but they were all very supportive."
Lee estimated the city will be able to trim about $10,000 off the $30,000 cost it had been paying each month.
"It's going to save costs. We don't have to put down the Astroturf, and we don't have to set up the tent for the stage because at Kapiolani Park the stage is already there," he said.
"We're not going to have to close down the streets. We're not going to have all the traffic control and the coning and perhaps not as much Police Department support as we've needed in the past."
The City Council allotted $300,000 to the administration for Brunch on the Beach programs for the fiscal year that began July 1.
Lee said the city intends to hold 10 of them, with no events slated for September and December when there are conflicting events.
Council members had criticized the lack of accountability in the costs of the Brunch program, as well as the almost weekly Sunset on the Beach events.
Last Friday, Mayor Jeremy Harris announced that the Sunset program, which runs feature movies at Queen's Surf Beach on Saturday and Sunday evenings, would be reduced to once a month to follow Council instructions.
Lee said the city will not take the word "beach" out of the Brunch on the Beach name, noting that Queen's Surf Beach is across Kalakaua Avenue from the park.
Vendors this Sunday include the Hawaii Prince, Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar, Royal Steak and Seafood, Restaurant Fuji, the Hau Tree Lanai, All-Star Hawaii, Seafood Village, Duke's Waikiki, Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, Skyline Cafe and Zanzabar Night Club.
City & County of Honolulu
