When business owners Kawai Stanich and Ilene Cabagbag bought the Shaka Bowls food truck in late 2015, the biz was strictly an açaí bowl truck. Stanich and Cabagbag officially opened the revamped business in February 2016.

“We had plans to expand the menu,” says Stanich. “We added ahi poke bowls and other specials after about six months. We were fortunate the business’s previous owners were supportive and helped us get started on the right track.”

Stanich and Cabagbag are both graduates of University of Hawaii at Manoa with degrees in travel industry management. Cabagbag graduated with an emphasis in hospitality, while Stanich graduated with an emphasis in food and beverage.

“When I was a student at UH Manoa, I remember enjoying an açaí bowl from this exact same truck,” Stanich says. “Back then, it was operating under the business name Aloha Bowls.

“We wanted to be able to work for ourselves; fortunately, this opportunity presented itself,” he adds.

The food truck’s most popular menu items are the shaka bowl ($12), hapa bowl ($13) and spicy ahi poke bowl ($13). Both shaka and hapa bowls feature the business’s original base blend of açaí. However, the shaka bowl comes with bananas, blueberries, strawberries, honey, bee pollen and granola. Meanwhile, the hapa bowl is topped with bananas, strawberries, Greek yogurt, lilikoi butter drizzle, almonds, chia seeds, honey and granola. The poke bowl features sushi-grade ahi, sweet and spicy mayo, tobiko, unagi drizzle, sesame seeds and radish sprouts.

“We source local ingredients as much as possible,” Cabagbag says. “Our granola (from Anahola Granola) gets shipped over weekly from Kauai, as does our brand of açaí (Tambor).

“We prepare and blend the açaí fresh by hand,” she adds. “It allows us to control the consistency — it’s thick, but not frozen — and flavor. We make our own mango butter drizzle and lilikoi butter.”

The next time you visit Shaka Bowls, check out the truck’s new mural.

“Our friend Sarah Beaver, who is a tattoo artist and business owner, did it,” says Stanich. “It’s an amazing rendition of Studio Ghibli characters, floral and fruit art, and caricatures of our two dogs. Look for the truck with the big, golden shaka.”

Shaka Bowls Hawaii

Various locations (check social media for updates)
Call: 808-269-6428
Instagram: @shakabowlshawaii
Facebook: @shakabowlshi
How to pay: Cash, major credit/ debit cards accepted, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay
How to order: In person, text phone number or message on Instagram