Via Gelato Hawaii will close its Ward Village location next month due to high rent costs, said owner Melissa Bow. The Kaimuki outlet, which opened in 2014, will remain open, she said.

Bow, 39, said Saturday that she also plans to file for bankruptcy with the hope of being able to continue her artisan food business.

The Ward Village shop opened in November 2017. Bow said she struggled to break even and took out loans and used her her Kaimuki profits to help pay the $11,000 monthly rent at the Ward location on Auahi Street. The exact date of the Ward location closure has not been determined, but Bow said it will be sometime before the end of May.

In an email statement, Ward Village spokeswoman Andrea Galvin said, “Local small businesses are important to us and we truly want every one of them to succeed. We are upfront and transparent in the terms of our leases, and while not every business succeeds, the many who have provide a one-of-a-kind retail destination.”

Via Gelato at Ward serves 14 flavors daily, many inspired by local tastes. The business won a 2014 ‘Ilima Award bestowed by Honolulu Star-Advertiser food writers.