New local bakery opening in Manoa
Restaurant industry veterans Mike Price and Alan Martin will stage the grand opening of Breadbox Hawaii at Manoa Marketplace on Tuesday.
Price and Martin, both raised on Oahu, have more than 15 years of industry experience with resumes including stints at The Pig and the Lady, Nobu and Duc’s Bistro.
The bakery’s offerings include staple breads, such as Japanese-style shokupan, French baguettes and English bread, sweet loaves such as banana bread and mango bread, as well as sweet and savory pastries.
The bakery also creates truffles including its own yuzu-flavored option.
A breakfast menu also is available in the mornings from the new business in Suite 5-108 at 2752 Woodlawn Drive.
Bakery hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.
Joy of Sake event shifting to Las Vegas
The 15th annual Joy of Sake tour will stop in Las Vegas in September, adding the mainland city to what organizers call the largest sake tasting event outside of Japan.
The Honolulu date for Joy of Sake this year is July 31 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center, while the Las Vegas debut will be Sept. 19 at Caesars Palace, and the tour will culminate with the Joy of Sake in Tokyo on Nov. 5.
"The Joy of Sake provides an opportunity for sake connoisseurs, novices and beverage professionals to sample the world’s finest premium sakes," organizer Chris Pearce said in a statement.
More than half the 370-some sakes are ultrapremium "daiginjo," made from the core of the rice grain, and some 200 of the sakes are not available within the United States.
At each event, attendees also are offered food by local restaurants that is prepared for optimal pairing with sake.
Joy of Sake previously was staged in New York from 2004 through last year.
A&B donates $1.4 million to nonprofits
Alexander & Baldwin Inc. said it expanded charitable giving last year following acquisitions of commercial real estate in Kailua and paving contractor Grace Pacific in late 2013.
The Honolulu-based firm said it made $1.4 million in charitable contributions to 360 organizations and community groups statewide last year through its Kokua Giving Program, up from $1.3 million during the 18 months from July 2012 through December 2013.
Up until July 2012, A&B’s charitable contributions included giving by Matson Inc., which was then spun off as a separate company. A&B said it broadened its charitable footprint last year to Kailua, where $100,000 in grants, services and sponsorships were made.
Another expansion area was West Oahu following A&B’s acquisition of Kapolei-based road building firm Grace Pacific. A&B said nearly $180,000 was spent on Grace Pacific causes, including an annual scholarship program.
More information about A&B’s charitable contributions can be found at alexanderbaldwin.com.
U.S. homebuilders lose confidence in sales
U.S. homebuilders are feeling slightly less confident about their sales prospects, a reflection of the sluggish start to this spring’s home-selling season.
Even so, builders’ overall sales outlook remains favorable.
The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Monday slipped to 54 this month, down two points from 56 in April.
Readings above 50 indicate more builders view sales conditions as good, rather than poor. The latest reading is up nine points from a year ago.
Charter, Bright House pursue cable merger
Charter Communications announced Monday that it is going ahead with its $10.4 billion deal for Bright House Networks, signaling the start of a new push to consolidate the country’s cable operators.
The transaction was previously agreed to in conjunction with Comcast’s proposed takeover of Time Warner Cable but was contingent on that deal’s completion. After that deal fell apart, Charter and Bright House had an exclusive 30-day negotiating period, which was set to expire this week. The two companies said Monday they are committed to completing the transaction on the same economic and governance terms as the original agreement, which was announced in March.
Generic drug firm Endo is buying Par
TRENTON, N.J. » Drugmaker Endo International PLC is climbing toward the top of the steadily consolidating generic medicine business with a deal to buy Par Pharmaceutical Holdings Inc. for about $8.05 billion.
The deal would enable Dublin-based Endo to leapfrog from No. 10 to No. 5 in U.S. generic drug sales barely five years after its first foray into generics.
It appears to be the latest maneuver in a battle for pricing power that pits drugmakers against payers such as insurers and pharmacy benefit managers. Recent consolidation has reduced the number of generic drug manufacturers and is driving shortages — and accompanying price spikes — of some generic drugs.
ON THE MOVE
Hawaiian Telcom has appointed the following individuals to leadership positions:
» Dan T. Bessey is the new chief financial officer. He was previously working at Cesca Therapeutics, a publicly traded biotechnology company based in California, where he served as a chief financial officer and managed the finance, accounting, business planning, forecasting, corporate development, investor relations and human resources functions.
» Meredith J. Ching has been appointed as the eighth member of its board of directors. She is senior vice president of government and community relations of Alexander & Baldwin. Prior to joining A&B in 1982, Ching served as a financial analyst with the Dillingham Corp.
Destination Hotels has promoted Ben Beaudoin to vice president and managing director of Destination Resorts Hawaii from general manager. In his new position, Beaudoin will continue to oversee the management and operations functions of the collection of premium vacation homes in the eight resort properties it manages in the luxury destinations of Wailea and Makena, Maui. He began his career with Destination Hotels as a property manager in 2007 and was promoted to director of operations in 2009, then became general manager in 2013.
