Business briefs

Windward Mall adding three new retailers

Longtime town favorite restaurant I Love Country Cafe will open in Windward Mall this summer, mall officials have announced.

The eatery will open in June in the food court, giving the popular restaurant its third location on Oahu.

The mall also will welcome new retailer pens, paper, etc. by Conrad, which will carry office, craft and food service supplies, in early summer.

Washington Fitness Studio has recently opened on the second level near Sears, offering Zumba, belly dance, hula fitness, salsa and mom-and-toddler fitness classes.

Central Pacific celebrates new Ewa branch

Central Pacific Bank will celebrate the recent opening of its new Ewa Beach branch with a full week of festivities that will include daily prize drawings, refreshments and special product offers.

The bank’s 35th branch in the state opened April 8, but its grand-opening week will kick off on Monday and run through May 11 at its Lau­nani Village location, adjacent to Safeway, at 91-1107 Keau­nui Drive.

On May 11 the branch will host a party from 10 a.m. to noon with refreshments, games and entertainment. There also will be two major prize drawings. First prize is a weekend staycation at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, and the grand prize is a trip for two to New York for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Central Pacific’s canine mascot, Alex, also will be at the branch May 11 to greet guests as well as be available for photos.

Branch hours are Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hawaiian Air passenger traffic up 7.2%

Hawaiian Airlines carried more passengers in April than a year ago as it increased flights, but it filled up a lower percentage of its seats.

The state’s largest carrier transported 772,346 people last month, up 7.2 percent from 720,747 in April 2012. The airline’s load factor, or percentage of seats filled, decreased 4.6 percentage points to 77.5 percent from 82.1 percent.

Revenue passenger miles, or one paying passenger transported one mile, jumped 18.9 percent to 1 million from 882,489, while available seat miles, or one seat transported one mile, rose 25.9 percent to 1.4 million from 1.1 million.

Host Hotels seeks to expand to Waikiki

BETHESDA, Md. » Host Hotels & Resorts, which owns two Maui resorts and has a stake in a time-share development on the island, is looking to expand into Waikiki.

President and CEO Ed Walter disclosed the interest of the nation’s largest real estate investment trust during an earnings conference call Friday.

"We’re certainly looking at some of the markets in Waikiki, not Maui, given our presence in Maui already," Walter said.

Host Hotels owns the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa and the The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui, and has a noncontrolling 67 percent interest in a joint venture with Hyatt Residential Group to develop, sell and operate a 131-unit time-share project on Maui adjacent to the Hyatt Regency.

Construction has begun, and the time-share project is expected to be completed in late 2014.

Host Hotels said its first quarter was strong due to a sustained increase in room rates. For the period ended March 31, Host funds from operations were $218 million compared with $173 million in the year-earlier period.

Funds from operations, or FFO, are considered key to measuring the financial performance of real estate investment trusts.

The Bethesda, Md., company reported quarterly net income of $56 million compared with $55 million a year ago, and revenue rose to $1.26 billion from $952 million.

On the Move

Lyon Associates, a planning, engineering and construction management firm based in Hono­lulu, has announced Jiro Sumada as its vice president and senior project manager. Prior to joining Lyon, Sumada served as deputy director of the City and County of Hono­lulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting.

Attention Plus Care will recognize Ivani Phillips with the “Outstanding Nurse” award in honor of National Nurses Week in May. Phillips, a registered nurse at Attention Plus Care, was selected because of company loyalty, exceptional performance evaluations, perfect attendance and compassionate care with her clients.