It’s nice to see clean new architecture in Kakaako, but razing old buildings typically leads to an exodus of mom-and-pop businesses when rents go up.

Holding the line on food costs is the newly open Kakaako Market &Catering, which wants to make meals affordable for the lunchtime work crowd and area condo dwellers.

The space stocks a small selection of Asian grocery items plus a refrigerator with such grab-and-go items as a pea salad with bacon ($5), generous Cobb salad with avocado ($6), chef salad with ham, turkey and chicken ($6), and Vietnamese summer rolls ($5) and spring rolls ($8).

Made-to-order items include flavorful turkey, Italian, tuna and chicken sandwiches at $7 for a half-size baguette, or $12 for the full-size, and an ahi poke bowl ($8).

Coffee lovers will find Vietnamese coffee, lattes and espresso.

The cafe is at 1001 Waimanu St.