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Zippy’s Restaurants will make many a Hawaii island resident happy by opening its 26th isle location at Hilo’s Prince Kuhio Plaza next summer.
Long the cause of unrequited drooling due to TV commercials broadcast statewide, Zippy’s will bring its dine-in and takeout casual dining operations, its Napoleon’s Bakery and its "Hot and Fresh concept" where customers can get malasadas and andagi freshly made to order, said Zippy’s President Paul Yokota.
The 7,000-square-foot Hilo Zippy’s will be similar in size to the Mililani store, Yokota said, though the overall seating capacity, hours of operation and staffing level still are being worked out.
Zippy’s will be near the Sports Authority that will open next month, Yokota said.
Zippy’s "is a terrific operator," said Scott Creel, General Growth Properties group marketing manager for Ala Moana Center, Prince Kuhio Plaza and Whalers Village in Lahaina. "We’re absolutely thrilled. They’ve got a tremendous track record. They’re proven on Oahu, and we’re proud to be the very first Big Island location," he said.
Online, social-media folk wondered, "What took them so long?"
Yokota laughed, "Good things take time. We wanted to be sure we were coming at the right time and that we’d be positioned correctly." Company officials are grateful for the desire expressed by Hawaii island residents over the years.
Company attention is focused on Hilo at the moment; however, asked about the Kona side or perhaps a Kauai location, "if other options arise, we’ll be happy to look at them," Yokota said.
News of the move was first announced by KPUA-AM 670 on Hawaii island. Zippy’s and KPUA parent company New West Broadcasting Corp. are "sister companies," but the choice to first open in Hilo "wasn’t because we had radio stations. … The community is one we’ve always wanted to be in," said Yokota.
KIKU-TV sold
Nihon-terebi KIKU-TV and two California sister stations have been sold out of bankruptcy for $45 million to NRJ TV II LLC, a large, Texas-based broadcast holding company.
The station’s beloved Japanese and multicultural programming will remain the same, said Phyllis Kihara, KIKU general manager.
The purchase agreement does not require the buyer to retain all the stations’ employees, but "nine full-time and three part-time employees (at KIKU) … all are being retained under NRJ," Kihara said. Nothing will change following the Aug. 10 changeover, she said.
The Federal Communications Commission has authorized the sale as part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings of soon-to-be-former KIKU parent company, International Media Group Inc. The company also sold KIKU sister stations KSCI-TV in Long Beach, Calif., and KUAN-LP, a low-power TV station in Poway, Calif.
NRJ, its principals, subsidiaries and affiliates are involved with 30 TV stations in 11 states and 92 radio stations in 10 states.
Yamada staying at KITV
To answer reader questions following Wednesday’s column on Yunji de Nies, yes, KITV news anchorwoman and reporter Lara Yamada is staying.
The Kauai-born Yamada this year won a Mark Twain Award, as well as regional and national Edward R. Murrow Awards for "Kokoro: Hearts Across the Pacific," an hourlong documentary on Japan’s tsunami recovery.
"Lara is a phenomenal enterprise and investigative reporter," said News Director Chuck Parker.
Once de Nies begins co-anchoring duties Sept. 10, Yamada will return to full-time reporting, her "first love," which she approaches "the way I approach my life: with enthusiasm and passion," she said.
Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.
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