There’s something new happening in the food world nearly every day, but with print space limited, it would take a month to catch up on "Bite Size" bits cataloging the new and small, so to clear the decks for the new year, here’s a roundup of recent intros:

HAWAIIAN PIE CO.

It’s always sad to hear of another mom-and-pop kamaaina business closing its doors, often not for a lack of fans, but because of a lack of interest by succeeding generations.

There seemed to be no end to this rising tide of closures, but now comes some good news with the opening of Hawaiian Pie Co., on Waiakamilo Road.

The Hori clan that owns the operation has roots on the Big Island, where patriarch Yoshio Hori opened the renowned Holy’s Bakery in the 1930s. His grandson Joel — who opened Hawaiian Pie Co. with wife Jan, and children Lindsey, Matt and Andrew Chun-Hori — said the Holy’s name may have derived from a classic misunderstanding between the Japanese-speaking Yoshio and a Caucasian sign maker, who heard the rolled "R" of Hori as "L," and created the sign accordingly.

Holy’s is still going on strong in Kapaau, where the bakery sits on Holy Bakery Road.

On Oahu, Yoshio’s son Robert Sr. opened Holy’s Bakery Manoa in 1979, offering bread, cookies and other treats until it closed in the 1990s. Joel, who grew up with the bakery, took a job with the Federal Aviation Administration. As he came closer to retirement and took note of other kamaaina companies being lost to time, he became wistful about the family business.

The family had always baked pies together during the holidays to give as gifts, and they knew the demand for the pies was there. But the real push came from his children, who acknowledged the difficulties of running a bakery but still wanted to continue the family legacy.

In spite of its family heritage, Hawaiian Pie Co. is a startup that is not affiliated with the original Holy’s. Their recipes are unique, and taking input from friends, family and now customers, the crust and pies have evolved into deep-dish 3-pounders.

Pies named in honor of Grandpa Yoshio include such classics as apple and coconut, but the family has come up with new combinations such as passion-pear and peach-pineapple.

Pies are available whole or by the slice, at $20 to $22 for whole pies. Other treats, such as shortbread cookies, turnovers and manju, will also be available as time permits.

Open New Year’s Eve from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 508 Wai­akamilo Road. Call 988-7828. Visit hawaiianpieco.com or search for HawaiianPieCo on Facebook to stay up to date on daily offerings.

CHAI’S WAIKIKI CAFE AND MARKET

Singha Thai is no more. In its place, owner Chai Chaowasaree has opted for a new concept, opening Chai’s Waikiki Cafe & Market, a casual dine-in and to-go spot serving gourmet-style local favorites such as Kobe beef loco moco ($14), oxtail soup with saimin noodles ($16), and ahi katsu ($15) topped with tomato-mango salsa.

A couple of my favorite dishes are the Hawaiian beef stew with coconut milk-ginger brown rice ($12) and the pork guisantes.

Addressing a changing demographic, the chef wanted to offer a more affordable experience for locals and visitors heading out on the road, with a refrigerator packed with grab-and-go salads and desserts in addition to the hot offerings.

The market aspect also features made-in-Hawaii omiyage products such as pineapple cakes, local honey, pecans and chocolates from Chai and Nori’s Saimin and Snacks on the Big Island.

Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, at Canterbury Place, 1910 Ala Moana Blvd. (across from Hilton Hawaiian Village). Park on second floor, at $4 for up to three hours. Call 941-9200.

CINNAMON’S AT THE ILIKAI

There are a lot of townies who will be glad Cinnamon’s, a morning crowd-pleaser in Kailua since 1985, has opened a second branch at the Ilikai, overlooking the yacht harbor.

The Windward restaurant was a homey place we could bring the dog and parrot while chowing down on "Decision" omelets with your choice of ingredients, benedicts and specialty guava chiffon pancakes ($8.75 short stack). There are also red velvet pancakes that are closer to dessert cake than breakfast fare.

With many more options in Waikiki, the morning lines have not materialized as quickly as in Kailua, but the food is still best at breakfast. Lunch and dinner are a bit of a throwback to days before Pacific Rim cuisine took hold.

In the evening, the Ilikai Special salad ($14.25) came highly touted, but I couldn’t quite make sense of the randomness of spinach weighed down by shrimp, mahi, imitation crab, tomatoes and Parmesan. I was, however, intrigued by baked spaghetti ($13.25) that brought back memories of elementary school cafeterias.

If you do happen to show up at night, you can still get those guava chiffon pancakes as dessert or entree.

Open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, at 1777 Ala Moana Blvd. Call 755-9955. Valet parking available at $1 per hour for two hours.