Kokua Line: Is Zippy’s closing Hawaii Kai restaurant?

Question: Is Zippy’s Koko Marina closing or not? I’m hearing conflicting information.

Answer: The dine-in restaurant section will close for good Sunday night, but the takeout counter and the bakery are not closing, Kevin Yim, vice president for marketing and communications, said Thursday by telephone.

The takeout counter will continue to be open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., he said. The dine-in section will close at 8 p.m. Sunday, he said.

No one is being laid off, Yim said. One member of the dine-in staff retired, and the rest will work in the takeout section or move to other Zippy’s locations, he said.

The takeout and dine- in menus are nearly the same, although the dine-in menu does include a few extra choices, such as Zip Min and all-day breakfast offerings, Yim said in a follow-up email. “The vast majority of your Zippy’s favorites are still available at the takeout counter, such as chilis, the Zip Pac, and Korean fried chicken.”

The change won’t affect redemption of Zippy’s fundraising tickets, as they are redeemed at takeout counters, not dine-in restaurants.

Other readers asked whether the dine-in section was temporarily closing for renovations, but that’s not the case. That portion of the property is reverting to Koko Marina Center management.

The Zippy’s at this location, 7192 Kalanianaole Highway in Hawaii Kai, opened in 1987. It’s historically been difficult to fully staff the dine-in restaurant, “and even more so in the current challenging employment environment,” Paul Yokota, president of FCH Enterprises, parent of Zippy’s Restaurants, said in a statement. By consolidating staff to focus on takeout, the popular chain will remain part of the Hawaii Kai community.

Q: When is the the next hazardous-waste event so that we can dispose of some household items safely?

A: March 11, by appointment. You must register by 2 p.m. March 3, by calling 808-768-3201 or emailing householdhazardouswa@honolulu.gov, according to the city Department of Environmental Services’ Refuse Division, which explains on its website that the city’s periodic household hazardous waste drop-off events allow Oahu residents to safely dispose of “excess products that are flammable, corrosive and toxic.”

When scheduling your appointment, be sure to include your “full name, home address, phone number, list of items with container size, and preferred drop-off time between 9 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. Only registered items, up to 12, will be accepted on the day of the event.”

You’ll receive drop-off instructions when you register.

The website says the following types of waste will be accepted: acetone, aluminum cleaner, antifreeze, arsenic, boric acid, chlordane, compact fluorescent bulbs/tubes (CFLs), diesel fuel, DDT, Diazinon, Dieldrin, disinfectants, fertilizers, formaldehyde, gasoline, herbicides, home perm solution, hydrochloric acid, insecticides, kerosene, lead, lighter fluid, malathion, mercury, metal polish with solvent, muriatic acid, oven cleaner, paint stripper, aluminum paint, lead paint, paint thinner, Paraquat, pentachlorophenol, Paris Green, photographic chemicals, rust remover, solvents, turpentine, Varathane, wood preservatives and window cleaners.

Mahalo

Mahalo to Shannon at Ala Moana Center, who helped me and my wife get out of a very tight parking situation on the afternoon of Jan. 27. I had driven into a parking spot too close to a right pillar and could not get out. He saw us and offered to help. In a few minutes he gave steering directions on how to get out. — Mahalo, Craig N.

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.