Restaurant closes in historic Hilo building (closing, restaurants, moving to)

[cynmkolohe]

Restaurant Kaikodo has closed and the owners have put the historic building in which it was located on the market. The building holds a unique place in Hilo's history and landscape...many of us are sad to have lost one of the most upscale venues in town. The bar has always been the most impressive of the local scene.

The food, on the other hand....was always subject to mixed reviews. I worked very briefly as an assistant to the owners of the restaurant just after moving to the Big Island. Little did I know...within weeks of my arrival, they went through the first of several closings, each an attempt to revamp their staff and business practices. This building is begging for someone with proven restaurant management skills and a sharp business sense to come in and make it the success it could be! The building is amazing...

The first link below gives a bit of history about the building and the second and third links are about the restaurant.


http://www.masonarch.com/projects/restoration/masonic.html (broken link)

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/articles/2007/08/11/local_news/local01.txt (broken link)

http://www.restaurantkaikodo.com/

[Sorcerer68]

It was the one place in town you could go and forget you're in Hilo. They had the highest level of service in town. Travesty. I used to take clients there. The inside is gorgeous.

[Paniolo Cowgirl]

I went to Kaikodo in March and meh, it just wasn't good enough. Ultimately their food was not as good as the top restaurants in Europe or on the mainland. Cafe Pesto is much better.

It was just too expensive for the quality of cooking they offered.

[cynmkolohe]

Totally agree, Paniolo Cowgirl. The sad thing was that the owners alienated the chef who originally created the menu. He left before the restaurant even opened, as I understand it. They had a lot of turnover--lost a lot of really great employees along the way.

What we miss is the bar and seating area near the bar. It was so much nicer than anything else in Hilo, including the Yacht Club, in my opinion. It could be low-key and good for an early cocktail, or a nice place for a later evening out on a Friday night. (I helped plan one of their first "downstairs" parties when I moved here. Until then they had usually used only upstairs for music.)

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that someone will come along with a vision to make it great!

By the way, for those interested...Detour in the industrial area just got the go ahead for a 4:00am close on the weekends, making it the only venue in Hilo right now that can stay open until that hour. According to the owner, she pursued the license so that she can host class reunions, special events, etc. on the weekends. Also says she plans to enforce a dress code...

Here is a link to a recent article...She may be facing an uphill battle, as the comments at the bottom suggest. A business, especially an entertainment venue, has to open with a plan and stick to it! I do wish her well, though. I've been in a few times earlier in the evening on quiet nights and had a nice enough experience.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald :: Hilo, Hawaii (http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/articles/2007/09/07/local_news/local03.txt - broken link)