A lunch crowd lines the picnic tables as a sign advertises that Honolua Store is open along Office Road in Kapalua on Sunday afternoon, the first day that part of West Maui reopened to tourism after the Aug. 8 fire. The Maui News / COLLEEN UECHI photo
KAPALUA — Dustin and Jesi Graves of Nashville, Tenn., were debating whether to cancel their trip to Maui after hearing about the pushback on tourism in the wake of Aug. 8 wildfires.
“That’s what we were worried (about), cause back home before we came, everybody was saying don’t come, because they don’t want the burden of tourism right now,” Dustin Graves said at the Kapalua Village Center on Sunday afternoon.
Ultimately, it was social media that convinced the couple to keep their plans, though they switched their Airbnb from Kaanapali to Kihei.
“The news says don’t come. But social media, like on Tiktok and stuff, they’re like, please come. Lahaina is closed but the rest is open,” Jesi Graves said.
So far, Dustin Graves said, “everybody’s been super nice and very appreciative that we’re here.”
Taverna Sous Chef Alex Reyes plates a fish burger at the Kapalua restaurant on Sunday afternoon.
The Nashville residents were among the visitors in Kapalua on Sunday afternoon, the first day that West Maui reopened to tourism after the fires. The area is reopening in phases, starting with Kapalua to Kahana Villa. Mahinahina to Maui Kaanapali Villas will reopen next, followed by the Royal Lahaina Resort to the Hyatt Regency, though no date has been set for either of the last two phases.
Tourism took a major plunge in the weeks after the fires. The number of visitors on Maui in August was down 57.8 percent compared to the same month in 2022, and visitor spending was also down by 49 percent, according to state tourism data.
Gov. Josh Green has said he understands the concerns over tourism returning, but that people need to keep their jobs so they don’t have to relocate off island. He said bringing back tourism would also help speed up the recovery.
In Kapalua on Sunday, customers clustered around the bar at Taverna tucking into burgers and drinks. Manager Lynn Stettler said the restaurant closed after the fire and had to furlough its 49 employees, about one-third of whom were displaced by the fire. Taverna reopened Wednesday and cut its hours from seven days a week to five, with 10 to 15 workers initially. Future hours and staffing will depend on how business goes, Stettler said. She estimated that since they reopened, daily business has been about 40 percent what it was before the fire.
“We definitely don’t want to rush it and we understand how everyone’s still feeling,” Stettler said of tourism’s return. “If you want to come, then just be respectful. That’s the bottom line, right? We want them to be respectful and enjoy the island, but also give back at the same time if they can. Don’t just take, take, take.”
Nelly Arcangel (from left), Essie Arruiza and Mario Arruiza of Lahaina share a laugh outside Honolua Store on Sunday afternoon. The three attended Sacred Hearts Church on Sunday as they wait for their home church, Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, to reopen after the fire.
Just down the road at Honolua Store, “lunchtime is really busy,” Shift Manager Marvin Dumlao said. “Hopefully it will continue all of this month.” The convenience store and deli, which closed shortly after the fires because multiple workers were displaced, reopened two weeks ago.
“For the past two weeks our sales have been really down, but now we’re getting better,” Dumlao said.
Outside the shop, Takashi Nakatsukasa of Tsukuba, Japan, had just finished his meal. Nakatsukasa was planning to come to Lahaina for a physics conference in October, but it was canceled due to the fire. Worried he might not be able to reach the hotel at all due to road closures, Nakatsukasa contacted his hotel and was told the west side was open, so he decided to make the trip.
Since Green’s reopening announcement, residents have been voicing concerns at public meetings, saying it’s too soon for the traumatized community. Last week, the group Lahaina Strong delivered a petition containing more than 10,000 signatures to the governor’s office at the State Capitol calling to delay the reopening. The petition had nearly 17,000 signatures as of Sunday, though it’s unclear how many are from Maui.
Cynthia Monteleone, who can’t go back to her home because of smoke damage, is among the Lahaina residents who aren’t ready for tourism.
“In my opinion they just want state tax money that comes from the hotels,” Monteleone said in Kapalua on Sunday. “Because look during COVID — everyone’s taken care of. So why is it different now?”
Lahaina resident Lauren Calderon feels it’s not the right time because “there isn’t a long-term housing solution” for people who lost their homes.
“Although help is appreciated from agencies like FEMA and the Red Cross, it’s not really giving people a stable future by having them jump around from place to place. It’s only adding to the anxiety and uncertainty,” said Calderon, who’s still paying a mortgage on her burned-down home. “So at this time while things are still uncertain and unstable, I think it’s a bad time to just assume everybody’s ready to go back to work like nothing happened.”
But others say tourism has to come back eventually.
“I think if they don’t start back now, they’re just prolonging. The same conversations are going to happen at Christmas as happen now,” said Kim Willis, a licensed marriage and family therapist who lives in Kapalua.
“My clients who are back at work and staying busy are doing much better than the ones that are at home, waiting,” Willis added.
Nelly Arcangel, who lost her Wahikuli home, said that “tourists, they’re livelihood to us.”
“Without them, that’s jobs for people, especially at the hotel. What they gonna do if no more tourists?” Arcangel said outside Honolua Store. “It’s supporting the people here if they come.”
Her friend Essie Arruiza, whose Lahainaluna Road home was heavily damaged by wind, says she just asks that visitors be considerate.
“As far as tourism, we have no control of that because economy also (needs) them, we need people,” Arruiza said. “But the only thing is, as long as they respect people, as long as they show their sympathy, their kindness. Cause right now we’re sensitive.”
They reminded visitors that the fires can still trigger their grief — even now, Arcangel says, when she tells people she’s from Lahaina, it’s hard to hold back tears. Arcangel can still recall the sounds, reminiscent of “a war zone,” and the black smoke visible from Launiupoko, where she and her family evacuated on the afternoon of Aug. 8. The family barely had enough gas to escape to Olowalu, where a friend supplied them with enough fuel to drive to Kahului.
The Arruizas and Arcangel have called Lahaina home for decades and say everyone there was like family.
“The first time I drove through Lahaina, I was crying,” said Mario Arruiza, a retired mailman. “Cause this was my playground. I delivered mail over here and now it’s gone.”
* Managing Editor Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com.
A lunch crowd lines the picnic tables as a sign advertises that Honolua Store is open along Office Road in Kapalua on Sunday afternoon, the first day that part of West Maui reopened to tourism after the Aug. 8 fire. The Maui News / COLLEEN UECHI photo 
Taverna Sous Chef Alex Reyes plates a fish burger at the Kapalua restaurant on Sunday afternoon. 
Nelly Arcangel (from left), Essie Arruiza and Mario Arruiza of Lahaina share a laugh outside Honolua Store on Sunday afternoon. The three attended Sacred Hearts Church on Sunday as they wait for their home church, Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, to reopen after the fire.Today's breaking news and more in your inbox
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