Mala Ocean Tavern is the first business on Front Street to reopen

LAHAINA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Mala Ocean Tavern is the first business on Front Street to reopen after the devastating fires nearly six months ago.

Front Street is known as “ground zero” because most of the businesses on the famous street in Lahaina were destroyed.

The owners say it’s a miracle their restaurant is still standing.

“We just assumed there’s no way this survived. It’s like a really old building. I think it’s been here for 102 years. So, you figure that its gonna go too,” said owner Javier Barberi.

Co-owner Caleb Hopkins and his family evacuated their home on August 8th. He came down to Front Street the next morning to check on his restaurant.

“This road was completely covered with powerlines and burnt cars and everything. But I made it through … and everything was just gone as far as you can see,” he said. “I could kind of see through the bushes this green, this bright green. I just cried.”

Mala Ocean Tavern survived.

Hopkins lost his home in the fire.

Despite all that he has lost, he says reopening Mala Ocean Tavern gives him and his team hope, and they hope it can do the same for their customers.

“As somebody who lost everything, and we still have this, you come down here and you just see, it’s OK. You know, it’s OK. Like, yeah, you’ll probably cry when you walk in the door. We all did. But it really is part of the healing process,” Hopkins said.

They were able get the National Guard roadblock to move down just so people can come to their business.

Everyone is welcome.

The rubble surrounding them is still widespread, but the owners say reopening was important to them.

“We totally recognize we are reopening Lahaina. We are reopening Front Street, and we accept that responsibility very seriously because we want to rebuild this community. We’re a part of it,” said Hopkins.

There’s a sign when you enter the restaurant saying that they kindly ask their guests to refrain from asking staff members about the fires because all of them are personally affected.

“I know some people might not be ready to come down here and that’s totally fine. But there is a sense of coming in here and having a meal and re-feeling all of the great feelings you had,” said Barberi. “It’s healing me and hopefully it can heal others as well.”

They respectfully ask everyone to come down and support them and all the other local businesses in West Maui as well because they need it now more than ever.

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