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Upscale deli and cafe operator Dean & DeLuca plans to open what would be its third Hawaii store about three years from now in a Kakaako condominium tower at Ward Village slated for completion in early 2022.
Ward Village developer Howard Hughes Corp. announced the deal Monday. The ground-floor cafe will front Victoria Ward Park and occupy 1,700 square feet in Ko‘ula, a tower where construction began in July. Hughes Corp. said the cafe will offer fine food and gifts as well as gourmet picnic baskets.
The two other Hawaii Dean & DeLuca shops are a market at the Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach condominium hotel and a cafe at Royal Hawaiian Center also in Waikiki.
Dean & DeLuca Hawaii President Yohei Takahashi said he is planning to expand the brand in the islands with up to eight stores in the future. He has the exclusive license of the brand for the Hawaii region.
“I want to introduce the Hawaiian local beautiful food products to people who visit here,” he said. “At the same time … I want to carry rare items in Hawaii for the local people.”
Dean & DeLuca was established in New York City in 1977 and lists two locations there along with the two in Honolulu. Since 2014, the retailer has been owned by PACE Development, a luxury real estate development firm based in Thailand.