A Hawaii business with an almost seven-decade history has closed for a second time, but the owners say Harry’s Music will open again in another spot.
The "rent is too high," said Clayton Yoshioka, who fired up the business with his brother Alan following the closure of the original Harry’s Music, established by their uncle Harry Yoshioka in 1946.
The business has been operating for most of 68 years, with a brief interruption after the original store at 3457 Waialae Ave. closed on Dec. 31, 2011.
Six months later, the Yoshioka brothers resurrected the business at 3270 Waialae Ave. adjacent to McDonald’s.
The landlord spent about $1.5 million on renovations to the new home of Harry’s Music. The Yoshioka family also invested some $170,000 to redesign the space to include studios for music lessons.
The newer store is about one-fifth the size of the original store, officials said in June 2012 prior to its opening.
The new Harry’s Music hired 10 workers, rehiring most of its former employees.
The second store closed Wednesday, with owners planning a sale of warehoused items next week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Items to be sold include guitars, cases, accessories, old record albums and 45 rpm records, compact discs, music books and more, with some items offered for $1.
The brothers are "still looking for a location," Clayton said, and while they are unsure if they will find a new spot in Kaimuki, they "will try."
