The cloud-soft pitas served at the 2-year-old Shaloha restaurant in Kai­muki have proved so popular that co-owners Sagi Asis­ko­vich and Mor Elkes­lassy have formed a new company, with additional partner Ziv Memran, to expand the bakery operation’s capacity and its wholesale reach.

So yes, the bakery is on the rise.

The new company, Shaloha Bakery LLC, uses the name the owners, who are from Israel, made by combining "shalom," Hebrew for peace, and "aloha."

Forget the thin, dry pita bread you have eaten in the past.

Shaloha’s pita bread "is the definition of fresh," said Elkes­lassy, explaining that it has no preservatives, "no shelf-life extenders of any kind," he said. "It must be consumed or frozen within two days."

Frozen pitas can be zapped in the microwave for 45 seconds and be ready to use. The high moisture content enables a microwave to "re-fluff" the pita, he said.

Some customers come into Shaloha three to four times a week, not just to eat falafel or shawarma served in the pita bread, but to grab a pita pack or two to take home, he said.

"It is the closest to Israel, even better than some in Israel," said customer Lior Chahar, on a recent visit. Her favorite dish at Shaloha is the eggplant sandwich.

Shaloha sells pita to Foodland stores and the Diamond Head Cove Health Bar on Monsarrat Avenue.

Several Foodland executives have tasted and been impressed with the quality of Shaloha’s pita bread, said Foodland chef Keoni Chang. "We also liked that they are a local company. We started selling their fresh breads in a few of our stores, and now sell their frozen breads at several more locations and are continuing to add more stores," he said.

Restaurant customers also can buy bags of baked-fresh-daily pita bread in packs of six for $7, or two packs for $12.

Shaloha sandwiches, all served in the baked-fresh-daily pitas, are $9.57 and huge.

Choices include shawarma, featuring marinated, grilled chicken; falafel, which are house-made from scratch using organic garbanzo beans and other fresh ingredients daily; eggplant (sabich) served with Israeli salad and homemade tahini; chicken schnitzel, breaded boneless chicken breast served with homemade salads; shak­shuka, featuring local eggs poached in a sauce of local tomatoes, chili peppers and additional spices; and hummus, served in a pita, or on a plate with pita bread and salads on the side.

Pita chips ($5.74) are made using house-made pita bread. They are light and airy and seasoned with zaatar, which Elkes­lassy describes as a naturally salty herb. They bear absolutely no resemblance to the hard, dry commercial pita chips you buy in a grocery or membership store.

The restaurant’s most popular beverage is Lemonana, a sort of lemonade infused with mint and sweetened with brown sugar ($2.87), though Elkes­lassy is quite fond of the Turkish coffee the restaurant also offers.

Some of Shaloha’s offerings are vegetarian, and they also can offer vegan options, Elkes­lassy said.

Shaloha offers discounts for students and for first-responders in uniform. It is open 365 days a year and offers catering services.

Elkeslassy didn’t drop celebrity names, but indicated that a TV show filming in Hawaii has blessed the restaurant with some business.

"In Israel there is no house without a pita package in it. That’s our vision for Hawaii," Elkes­lassy smiled.

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Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.