After they met, co-owners and couple Cleston Teixeira and Anna Tetsutani dreamed of starting a business together.

“Ever since we first started dating in 2014, we’ve always dreamt of owning our own business, but never imagined it would be a food truck,” says Teixeira.

Fast-forward seven years later (this past May, to be exact) and the duo debuted Hauoli Sandwich Co., a food truck that serves healthy, handcrafted sandwiches, just like the moniker suggests.

“We would often take homemade sandwiches to the beach and thought they were pretty tasty, so we decided to share them with the people of Hawaii,” says Teixeira.

“Hauoli means ‘happy and joyful’ in the Hawaiian language,” he adds. “We wanted to connect our business to the islands of Hawaii — the place that we call home — and through our food, we hope to bring happiness into people’s lives.”

As an ode to the islands they love, the duo named menu items after their favorite places throughout the Aloha State.

Take the Poipu ($11) sandwich, for example. It was named after a southern town on the island of Kauai, and comprises honey-roasted turkey, provolone cheese, mayonnaise and pesto. It’s then topped with sun-dried tomatoes and house pickled onions, which are, of course, made in-house and locally grown in Ewa.

“It adds a nice crunch and a contrasting sweet and acidic taste,” says Teixeira.

“The Poipu is our bestselling sandwich,” he continues. “The turkey, sun-dried tomatoes and pickled onions bring a nice sweetness to it, while the saltiness of the pesto and the bread help balance it out.”

All sandwiches are served on a housemade rosemary focaccia bread. Baked from scratch, the loaf is fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside — providing avid sandwich lovers with the perfect bite.

For a variety of flavors, opt for the Haleiwa ($11), which stacks ham, Muenster cheese, mayonnaise and an avocado spread, then is topped with tomatoes, clover sprouts, a drizzle of honey and pickled onions.

On the drink menu, meanwhile, try the light, refreshing option of lemongrass ginger lemonade ($4).

Hauoli Sandwich Co. currently does not have a set schedule, so be sure to check out the business’s Instagram (@hauolisandwichco) for the latest updates.

Hauoli Sandwich Co.

Instagram: @hauolisandwichco
How to pay: Cash, credit/debit card and Apple Pay
How to order: In person