Question: Once again, both concession stands at Ala Moana Beach Park are closed and have been for months. For years the concessions opened at 8:30 a.m. and served breakfast, lunch and snacks. The concessions closed in late summer 2012 and a new vendor didn’t come on until fall 2013. The new vendor didn’t open until around 11 a.m., with a more limited menu. Why can’t the city maintain and operate these concessions reliably? In the meantime, can they at least allow lunchwagons to provide food and beverages?
Question: All this talk by the mayor about putting more development in Ala Moana Beach Park makes me wonder why the city can’t run the simple snack stands that are already there. Homeless people just sit around there now. What is the problem? Can’t the city let somebody just sell shave ice and soda or something simple there?
Answer: The concession stands should be up and running again in June, operated by a name familiar around town: L&L Hawaiian Barbecue.
The city reached an agreement with Ala Moana H.B. Inc. (doing business as L&L) to operate both concessions from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, for five years, Guy Kaulukukui, director designate of the Department of Enterprise Services, told Kokua Line on Wednesday.
The Notice to Proceed was to be issued to the company the same day.
Under terms of the contract, L&L will pay a fixed monthly fee of $500 the first year, and $1,000 a month for the following four years. Since the fee will be based on actual sales, L&L also will pay the actual monthly sales times 8.1 percent.
CONCESSION SALES
The two concessions have been plagued by closures, not the least because the facilities have proved to be problematic.
In August 2013, we reported that Optimum Marketing and Management Corp., which runs Queen’s Surf Cafe & Lanai at Kapiolani Park, had been awarded a five-year contract to operate the concessions, which had been closed for about a year. (See bit.ly/1EiwJRZ)
However, the contract was terminated at the end of September, only about one year into the contract. We were told the termination was by mutual agreement.
Minor repairs were made at both concessions after the contract was terminated and a solicitation for bids for a new concessionaire was posted on March 4, Kaulukukui said.
“We greatly appreciate the public’s patience throughout this process,” he said.
He also explained that the city has strict procurement requirements in filling a concession, so it wasn’t possible to just allow lunchwagons to operate in the interim.
“If the concessions were inoperable for whatever reason, a lunchwagon would be a good option,” he said. But, “the bid solicitation process would generally take the same amount of time to fill a concession stand or a lunchwagon.”
Meanwhile, Kaulukukui explained that the current design of the facilities has “substantial drawbacks, most glaringly the concrete structure next to the restroom not being particularly attractive.”
He said Mayor Kirk Caldwell welcomes suggestions on designs for future concessions as part of his Ala Moana improvement plan and encourages residents to share their ideas at ouralamoanapark.com.
MAHALO
To a gentleman at the Hawaiian Humane Society for being very professional, compassionate and thorough. On Easter Sunday, I had the sad task of putting my very ill dog to sleep. This gentleman, Allan Grelleris, assisted me. He answered all my questions and, more importantly, handled my dog very kindly and gently, speaking with my dog the whole time. He deserves an A+ for his work with animals and with people like me going through a very difficult time. Big mahalo to the humane society. They should be proud of him. — Pearl City Resident
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
