It’s been a decade since Tanioka’s Seafoods and Catering has operated outside of Waipahu. But the time has come, company President Mel Tanioka says, to take the show back on the road.
In January, Tanioka’s Express will open at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park in Waipio, the first outpost for the Tanioka family since a store at Pioneer Plaza downtown closed in 2005.
“We wanted to expand, and this seemed like the perfect fit for us,” Tanioka said.
The new outlet will serve as the concession for those using the 250-acre park’s tennis courts, swimming pool and its soccer, football, baseball and softball fields. It will also will be open to anyone in the neighborhood seeking a poke bowl or a plate of garlic fried chicken. Workers at businesses along nearby Ka Uka Boulevard are prime potential customers, Tanioka said.
Tanioka’s has a five-year concession agreement with the city, paying $1,200 per month to operate at the park, said Tracy Kubota, deputy director of the city’s Department of Enterprise Services.
Jesse Broder Van Dyke, spokesman for the mayor’s office, said Waipahu businesses struggling with rail construction on Farrington Highway were encouraged to bid on the concession. Tanioka’s bid was the higher of two.
The 2,000-square-foot kitchen and dining area is part of a structure that includes park offices and a wraparound porch that Tanioka’s plans to use for private parties. It has been empty since the previous concessionaire, Xotic Eats, left in March.
The new site offers Tanioka’s customers something the Waipahu location cannot: seating. And a lot more parking. “I think people are going to like that,” said Jasmine Tanioka, Mel Tanioka’s daughter and the company’s chief financial officer.
The Waipahu location has always been a takeout-only venue, and parking is tight in the small lot.
The kitchen at the regional park facility is being cleaned and air-conditioned, and much of the equipment replaced.
Opening day is set for Jan. 11, and despite its name, Tanioka’s Express will offer most of the eatery’s most popular items, Jasmine Tanioka said. Hours will be limited to 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily to start, with extended hours planned during tournaments.
