Kanemitsu Bakery on Molokai is famous for its fluffy, fresh, hot bread. But you no longer have to go to “The Friendly Isle” to get your hands on this popular treat.
According to business co-owner Aramis Buchanan, Molokai Hot Bread food truck has been roaming Oahu since 2018.
“The original owner, George Kanemitsu, is in his late 70s; the business has been around for almost 90 years now,” he says. “George isn’t married and has no kids. I approached him about seven years ago and asked what would happen if he passed away — how would his legacy continue?
“I made him a proposition — I said, ‘Let me come in and help,’” Buchanan adds. “If he saw my value, I could help take his business over.”
Buchanan started by volunteering at the bakery, cleaning and creating new products.
“I revamped the old bakery and put more life into it,” he says. “We started making a lot more money. George’s dream was to have this bread be expanded to the neighbor islands and later, to the mainland. We hit a point where I felt like I hit my peak on Molokai. It was time to bring it (the bread) here to Oahu.”
Together with business partner Darren Tsuchiya, Buchanan started the Molokai Hot Bread food truck.
“We felt this was the quickest way to get the word out; we could drive to different parts of the island,” he says. “The bread we’re selling features the exact same recipe (as the bread on Molokai) — it’s handmade, everything is the same.”
The only difference — customers on Oahu can enjoy specialty flavors ($14) like lilikoi, guava and ube cheesecake. Every month features different specialty flavors, says Buchanan. Plain loaves cost $8, while two-topping classics are $12.
“We see what’s popular in the community and what people like; that’s how we come up with specialty flavors,” Buchanan says. “Ube is the most popular flavor; it always sells out really quickly. Strawberry and cream cheese is a popular flavor, too.
“Our recipe has been around for a very long time,” he adds. “We do it very old fashioned; we don’t cut corners, we’re not using machines to roll out dough, everything is handmade. It takes a lot of time, but we put a lot of effort and energy into it. We’re very passionate about what we do; we like to give people a quality product.”
Molokai Hot Bread food truck’s location changes daily. For updates, follow the business on social media (Instagram and Facebook), or check the calendar on its website (molokaihotbread.com).
“Our goal is to expand to the mainland, so watch for that in the future,” Buchanan says.
Molokai Hot Bread food truck
Various locations
Phone: 808-772-8440
Web: molokaihotbread.com
Instagram: @molokaihotbreadoahu
How to order: In person only
How to pay: Cash, credit cards and EBT accepted
