Rays of sunlight and good news do exist in these crushingly depressing financial times.

Hanapa'a Sushi Co. Inc. has expanded from one location to three since its formation in April and will open three more this year.

In its deal with Times Supermarkets, it opened its first location May 1 in the Kaimuki store at 3221 Waialae Ave.

Two new spots opened yesterday in the Times at 1290 S. Beretania St. and the Waimalu Times at 98-1264 Kaahumanu St.

The next openings are planned for December in the three Windward Times - in Kailua, Kaneohe and Ahuimanu in Koolau Center, which people still refer to as Temple Valley Shopping Center despite rebranding and no-longer-new signage.

The four Hanapa'a Sushi partners, Grant Kawasaki, Norlan Horita, Shannon Akazawa and Ikaika Kimura, have about 25 years' combined experience in the retail sushi field in which quality and freshness are key.

Any company can slap a slogan together. The test comes in living up to or exceeding the expectations it generates among customers.

Hanapa'a's slogan is “;Sushi bar quality at takeout prices.”;

“;We don't use plate-lunch rice like the other guys do,”; said Horita in a statement. “;We use genuine, high-grade Koshihikari rice - the same grade you can expect to find at Hawaii's top sushi bars.”;

The maximum time-stamped shelf life of the sushi is four hours, said Kimura, executive director.

Times previously had vendors bringing in sushi items and customers knew prices would be marked down after a certain time, so they would wait and the store would lose some of its margin.

Now sushi items can be made to order, including futomaki rolls, specialty rolls, spicy tuna dynamite, donburi and chirashi bowls for $4 to $7.

Party platters can be ordered online and picked up at the desired location.

Kawasaki and Akazawa established Sushi Supreme on Bishop Street in 2001, which was later sold to Ninja Sushi.

In 2002 they established Gokujo Sushi, which operates out of Marukai Corp.'s membership stores on Dillingham Blvd. and Ward Ave.

Profits helped finance the launch of Hanapa'a Sushi.

“;We have a unique situation because we're in the supermarket and (customers are) coming in for food. They're hungry, looking for ingredients to make dinner and we provide instant gratification,”; he said.

Industry publications report that as restaurants have seen softening sales, supermarkets are seeing increased revenue from in-store food service operations that offer customers ready-to-eat foods to take home or, in some cases, eat on-site.