Punalu'u Bake Shop

11/05/2026

Aloha Ohana!A lot of you have been asking for an update, so we wanted to share some of the progress on the site. It’s really looking great.Huge mahalo to our team and everyone who has helped make this happen. We’re bringing it back ! and it’s going to be better than before.

We still don’t have an exact reopening date, but as soon as we do, you’ll know it. We’re working day and night to get the sweet bread back on the shelves, the malasadas in the fryer, and that familiar smell of fresh cookies and bread back in Naalehu.

Stay tuned for more updates. For now, enjoy the before and after photos!

Mahalo from the Punaluu Bake Shop Team!

11/04/2026

We're Hiring! 🍞🌺Punalu‘u Bake Shop is preparing to hire across every department as we prepare for great things ahead! Whether you’re interested in production or retail. — we’d love to hear from you. Join our ‘ohana at the southernmost bakery in the USA.

We are not currently open

the application, head to our website , go to the bottom , look for career opportunities fill it out, and send it to [email protected]. Questions? Reach out to Zachary Kennedy, General Manager, at the same email
Mahalo — we can’t wait to welcome new team members!



https://punaluubakeshop.myshopify.com/pages/career-opportunities

10/01/2026

Aloha Ohana!
It’s starting to take its original shape again.
A special mahalo to our team. You have shown up every day, put in the hard work, and kept this place moving forward. A special mahalo to our partners who have stood with us.

There is still a lot to be done. But every day we see progress, and every day this place looks a little more like the southern most bakery in the US again!
We are getting there, together.

Punaluʻu Bake Shop

09/22/2026

Aloha Ohana
From every one of us at Punaluʻu Bake Shop mahalo nui loa.
Hurricane Lala shook our home in Nāʻālehu. It took our shop, our routine, and for many of our ʻohana, pieces of the life we knew. What it could not take is the aloha that found us.
You donated. You shared. You checked in. You remembered our sweet bread, our malasadas, and the people behind the counter. Because of you, our employees and their families have help with food, homes, utilities, and the long work of getting back on our feet.
We are still closed. We are still cleaning, rebuilding, and dreaming of the day the ovens are full again. But we are not alone and that has meant everything.
From the entire Punaluʻu Bake Shop ʻohana: we are extremely grateful. Your kindness is feeding more than bodies. It is holding a community.
Mahalo for standing with Kaʻū.
With love from Nāʻālehu,
The employees of Punaluʻu Bake Shop

09/22/2026

Naʻālehu Ace Hardware and Ocean View Hardware,
Mahalo nui loa from all of us at Punaluʻu Bake Shop.
When the shop was still finding its feet after the storm, you didn’t wait to be asked. You showed up with cleaning supplies, tools, and the kind of quiet kōkua that only neighbors on this side of the island still know how to give. Those wheelbarrows weren’t just buckets and brooms they were a reminder that this community takes care of its own.
Both stores have been a tremendous help to our crew. We felt the ʻohana in every donation and every “how you holding up?” That care matters here. It always has.
We are grateful to stand with you as fellow small businesses on the Kaʻū coast. Mahalo for the aloha

-Punaluu Bake Shop Team
Photo Credit Piilani Peralta espejo

Ace Hardware

08/27/2026

Kaʻū Strong.
This is what it looks like right now.
Mud on the boots. Dirt on the bin. Hands still working , not on dough, but on rebuilding.
Hurricane Lala hit our home hard. The shop took a beating. So did a lot of our neighbors. But look at this face. Look at that shaka.
That is Kaʻū. Our home. Neighbors taking care of each other.
We are not open yet. Recovery will take time. But we are here.
Mahalo to everyone who has checked in, shared what they have, and held Kaʻū in their hearts.
We will bake again. Until then, we stay Kaʻū Strong.

08/25/2026

Aloha Ohana!
Wanted to give you guys a small update. The team is hard at work and full of high morale and we’re already seeing encouraging results this week as we work to get back to making the best sweet bread! It will take time , but one small step at a time.
To our team: Massive thank you for your hard work today. It truly takes a village, and we’re grateful for every one of you.
And a huge mahalo to everyone who donated on the GoFundMe, sent us words of encouragement, and kept us in their thoughts.

08/22/2026

Aloha Ohana 💛
Since sharing the news about the damage, there has been an outpouring of support asking how people can help our employees. Hurricane Lala has left many members of the Punaluʻu Bake Shop ohana facing devastating personal losses. While our beloved bake shop suffered damage, the greatest impact has been felt by our hardworking employees and their families who now find themselves struggling to recover from damaged homes, lost belongings, and financial uncertainty.

Punalu‘u Bake Shop employs more than fifty (50) Hawai‘i Island residents, many of whom have been with the bake shop for decades. Our employees make the Punaluʻu Bake Shop a special place for so many people in the community of Na‘alehu, as well as the visitors from around the world.

For many of our team members, the storm destroyed personal property, flooded homes, disrupted essential services, and created unexpected expenses that continue to grow each day. For those that feel compelled to help:

We are so grateful for this ʻohana.

On August 16, Hurricane Lala devastated South Hawai‘i Island, includ… Connie Koi needs your support for Support Punaluʻu Bake Shop ʻOhana After Hurricane Lala

08/18/2026

Day One : Media Release

08/18/2026

https://www.bakeshophawaii.com/pages/help-support-the-punalu-u-bake-shop-ohana-after-hurricane-lala

On Aug. 16, Hurricane Lala devastated parts of South Hawai‘i Island, including Na‘alehu, where Punalu‘u Bake Shop and Visitor Center is located. The bake shop has been severely damaged, and we will be temporarily closed, including the online shop, until we can assess the damage and safely rebu...