OnoPops back in production with fresh summer flavors
“If they have not lilikoi, let them eat mango.”
That’s the kind of philosophy that keeps things loose and flexible at OnoPops, and is undoubtedly part of the reason the Welch brothers, Josh and Joe, have successfully emerged from a dark time for the 5-year-old business.
In November 2015, OnoPops was crippled by a fire that destroyed its kitchen. But the Welch’s are back with a vengeance, producing their frozen pops in a new kitchen on Waiakamilo Road, still using 100 percent Hawaii products.
Two weeks into production, they’re already producing seasonal pops, summer flavors that include mango creamsicle, kulolo (they make the actual kulolo themselves), surinam cherry and jaboticaba, a sweet grapelike fruit with a grape flavor.
Which brings us back to the lilikoi-mango reference: Josh Welch says mango is their go-to fruit when it’s a bad year for lilikoi. Fans will agree, that’s not a bad alternative at all.
Find OnoPops’ 14 signature flavors at Whole Foods Markets, Safeway stores, select Foodland supermarkets and other retail outlets. All flavors, including seasonal and special-edition installments, are sold at OnoPops’ production location, 420 Waiakamilo Road, on the ground floor (Hawaii News Now building), 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays; and at these farmers markets: Kapiolani Community College, 7:30 to 11 a.m. Saturdays; and Kailua, in the parking lot by Longs, 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays.
