Still had water

Who knew peaches were a hurricane staple?

Besides the peaches will go bad so how about food that will last longer? Like these cotton candy Twinkies?

Or these Cookie Monster cookies?

If water is not your thing, there’s always wine in a can.

Hey, just trying to bring some levity during this waiting time…

From its days in Don Quijote then moving down to Hekili Street, this franchise provided affordable and tasty Vietnamese sandwiches and other dishes. I loved their iced coffee ratcheted up caffeine levels. Sadly, the owners decided to move on and out of Hawaii (so I hear), but hopefully, this gap is quickly filled. The Pig and the Lady (or Piggy Smalls) would fit nicely in this lineup of boutique shops…

Bon voyage Pier 1.

As the renovation of Macy’s is still underway, part of the renovation uncovered its older past when Macy’s was Liberty House.

You can find Pieology Kailua at 151 Hekili St. across the street from Target.

Amazingly, the traditional checkout counters manned by employees still have long queues. I guess business must be good?

Neighboring AT&T is the once-again relocated GNC. GNC was right across the street next to Starbucks and Jamba Juice then moved by UPS. And now its latest is at the Kailua Shopping Center.

The movie theaters in Kailua continue its renovation as Kailua Cinemas. Over the years, these theaters have changed names, most recently known as Water Garden that showed older movies at reduced prices. But the phase has begun with Kailua Cinemas featuring luxury reclining seats.

While the theater is open for business, the remodeling is still underway. Concessions is limited to popcorn and bottled soft drinks. No other food is available, and the fountain drink dispenser isn’t ready yet. The bathrooms are nice, but some walls need finishing. The main thing is the projection and (loud) sound system is working. And oh yes, the very red reclining seats are new. Just don’t touch any of the wires coming out of the walls.

It’s a good thing UPS delivers hand rails.

But hey, good enough. Can’t beat the convenience and $6 movies on Tuesdays.

Update: The Kailua Target location had approximately 12 units available (it may have been 20 but eight mysteriously were not part of sellable inventory). Some in-line were there since midnight.

Update 2: GameStop Windward Mall had 17 units that were snapped up quickly.

Update 3: Best Buy in town seemed to have been the best bet with 40 Classics up for grabs. Opening at 10am, you had to wait in line but if you had a ticket, you were good.

Update 4: Amazon literally sold out in seconds.

Update 5: Don’t worry if you missed out. There will be more chances says Nintendo.

The Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition system is a hot item, and we are working hard to keep up with consumer demand. 1/3

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) November 11, 2016

Wow, the shakeup of small businesses in Kailua just doesn’t stop. Sadly, Island Yogurt is leaving the Windward neighborhood, but Bee & Tea from Chicago opened their first Hawaii store on the same Hekili Street. Also opening on Hekili is The Curb that’s “keeping it fresh, hot, and cool with intentional coffee.”

Now I don’t quite understand their tagline, but hey, I’ll try some coffe with intention. The Kailua location just opened on Wednesday, so they’re still working out some issues on their fourth business day. Umm, yeah, gotta get a trash can inside the store and also an area with napkins would be good. But that wall art is cool, and I do really dig the whale wallpaper.

Their menu is tight and focused, and I went with a nitro cold brew since I don’t know where else I can find this on the Windward side. I’ve never had the foaminess of a nitro, but it’s interesting. There’s a different feel to this drink and subtle flavor changes to this cold brew. I’m not sure if this drink is for me though.

Next time, I’ll go for an espresso drink and fill my Belly.

So the Age of Froyo is done after a seven-year war. Following froyo is the Age of Milk Tea. Already popular in town, Kailua joins this era with the introduction of Bee & Tea. I won’t go into the store’s background and menu since you can read great coverage here and here.

Only open one week, the store was buzzing with patrons inhaling their boba-filled drinks.

Yeah, I’m no fan of boba or milk tea drinks, preferring my coffee, so I opted for a lemonade instead. But hey, that lemonade with lychee and mango was worth it! Refreshing with the sour bite offset by the sweet lychee and mango jelly. The jellies weren’t mushy either. They were firm, holding their shape, some even in the shape of little stars. Heck, as I neared the bottom of my drink, I got a spoon out to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

The Bee & Tea menu is kinda overwhelming with drinks alone. Milk tea, cold brew coffee, shakes, smoothies – there’s a lot to look through. Personally, I think they should forgo the coffee offerings since there are so many other coffee options in the area, even a few doors down with the opening of The Curb. There’s also bao served, and really, I don’t get it. I guess the bao is a complementary food item that is the savory to the drinks’ sweetness? I just don’t envision the crowds coming to Bee & Tea for bao. But then again, I’m terrible at predicting food wants.

I do have to go back and try one of the signature milk teas, but until then, here are some pictures of Bee & Tea Kailua.

You can also follow Bee & Tea Kailua on Instagram @beeandteakailua and Facebook.

While we don’t froyo often, Island Yogurt was our go to spot with a variety of flavors and convenient parking. They’ve been there for several years (well as Orange Tree originally) but the rent just got too high.

When the Froyo Wars started in 2009, I wondered who would make it and who wouldn’t. From the list of contenders, I honestly don’t know who’s left standing, but Yogurt Mama is still holding it down in Kailua.

The Age of Froyo is essentially done superceded by the Age of Milk Tea and the continued climb of coffee…

Yes, that is a self checkout station. One of several in fact that’s being installed where the previous express registers were. If you’ve shopped at Target Kailua, you know of the line imbalance. There’s usually one or two open regular cashiers and one express cashier. But most of the buyers have a handful of items, so that express line is packed and not so express. The buyers with carts overwhelm the regular cashiers. Needless to say, buying stuff is a time consuming hassle.

These self check out stands have got to help. I’ll report back in a week or two…

Nonetheless, the store is gradually emptying out. G Shock watches are all gone with only high end watches left. The aloha shirts are wiped out unless you’re looking for off sizes.

But this look is still available if you’re so inclined.