There are twisted beams where the ramen counter used to be. Ward Centre opened in 1982 and closed to the public on June 30. By the end of August, Hawaii News Now was describing the building as "twisted metal beams and rubble." Demolition is still going on. Doug Johnstone of Howard Hughes Communities told Aloha State Daily in October that he expects it to finish early next year.
Ward Centre had dozens of tenants, and when it closed they went three ways. Some left Kakaako, some closed, and some stayed close. Most of the ones that stayed are now on Auahi Street or Ward Avenue, within reach of Victoria Ward Park. The old site is a construction zone and the retail planned for it depends on two towers that just broke ground. For now, the strip around the park is where Ward Centre's errands happen.
The Ones That Stayed Moved a Few Blocks
These are the moves that change the least about a normal Kakaako week.
- Kamitoku Ramen served its last bowl at Ward Centre on June 21. It moved into the former Scratch Kitchen space at South Shore Market, 1170 Auahi St. Aloha State Daily reported dinner hours of 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday during the soft opening. A grand opening was planned for September, so check the current hours before you go.
- Johnny's Dog Spa Hawaiʻi and Sweat + Soul both moved to 320 Ward Ave., in Ward Village's West Village. Your dog's grooming and your own workout are now in the same building.
- Village Books & Music reopened on Wednesday, July 15, at 610 Ward Ave., near the Blaisdell Arena, under a new name: Friends' Books & Music. Friends of the Library of Hawaiʻi explains the change: the store first opened at Ward Village in 2021, and it was renamed because the new space is no longer inside Ward Village. Sales of books, CDs, DVDs, vinyl, games and art still fund Hawaiʻi's 51 public libraries, and the stock is restocked daily.
The bookstore technically moved out of Ward Village, but for someone walking from Auahi Street it's on the same stretch of Ward Avenue as the dog spa and the studio.
The Ones That Left Kakaako
Other tenants followed their customers elsewhere on the island. HONOLULU Magazine's July roundup tracked the moves:
| Business | Where it went |
|---|---|
| Aliʻi Coffee | Ala Moana Center |
| Nā Mea Hawaiʻi | Inside Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St. |
| Paul Brown Salons | Style Loft, 1601 Kapiʻolani Blvd., Suite 100, reopened July 1 |
| Crazy Shirts | Waikele Premium Outlets, 94-798 Lumiaina St., Suite 408 |
| Studio the Vibe | 620 Dillingham Blvd. in Kalihi |
| Kids City Adventure | Continuing at 480 Kamokila Blvd. in Kapolei |
| Chong Qing Hot Pot | Ward location closed; Waikīkī location at 1778 Ala Moana Blvd. stays open |
Aliʻi Coffee also closed its downtown Honolulu shop, so Ala Moana Center is now where to find it. Paul Brown is the closest of the group. The others are now a drive away.
A few names closed their storefronts entirely. Taj Clubhouse closed its physical shop. Hawaii News Now reported that the store had been in business for 50 years and that its owners planned to keep selling a limited selection online. Blue Bird Jewelry gave up its storefront to focus on pop-ups and events. Fat Cheeks closed, and its owners said to watch for updates while they work on other projects.
Still Between Addresses
Several tenants had not named a new home as of the July roundup:
- Try Coffee was looking for a new location, and its subscription service kept running without a break.
- Noa Noa closed its Ward boutique while it searched, but its Waikīkī shop at 226 Lewers St., No. 224, stayed open.
- Mian & Bao planned to merge with its sister restaurant, Chengdu Taste, at 808 Sheridan St., No. 209.
- Blume Ruhm said it was moving, with details to follow. BoxJelly and Muʻumuʻu Library & Kīpuka had not announced next locations.
If any of these was a regular stop for you, their own channels will have the latest news.
What Opened Nearby While the Building Came Down
The new arrivals over the same months landed in the same few blocks as the stores that stayed.
Tali's Bagels & Schmear was one of the Ward Centre names planning a Kakaako location. Aloha State Daily reported a soft opening on Friday, Aug. 21, at 1052 Waimanu St., with hours of 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesdays closed. A Honolulu Coupon roundup of August openings listed it as soft-opened that day.
Westman Cafe opened at Kōʻula, 1000 Auahi St., in March. Over the summer it added dinner from 4 to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, by reservation, so a brunch spot now works for a weeknight too.
W Sauna, at 961 Kawaiahaʻo St., takes private bookings for 50-minute sessions, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.
All of this sits around Victoria Ward Park, which has grown in stages. The 1.4-acre makai section opened in early 2025, and the mauka expansion was completed in February, making the park 3.5 acres. The Park Ward Village, a 41-story tower next to it, opened June 2 with more than 30,000 square feet of retail and dining space. It also brought wider sidewalks, better pedestrian paths and bike connections. Two restaurants have been announced for that space so far. One is a second Oʻahu location for Rigo, a Spanish-Italian concept that adds Japanese soba. The other, ʻĀina Bowls, a health food and açaí concept, is tentatively set to open in March 2027.
Johnstone described the shift himself in an interview with Aloha State Daily:
"...particularly in the core of our neighborhood, where we brought Victoria Ward Park online, a number of new retailers and restaurants are starting to open up, and you're starting to see a real community and concentration of people and activity."
What Gets Built Where Ward Centre Stood
The old site has a plan, and the plan takes time. Howard Hughes broke ground on Sept. 28 on Melia Ward Village and ʻIlima Ward Village, designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects. Melia will be 35 stories with 221 residences, and ʻIlima will be 33 stories with 148 homes. At street level, the plan calls for about 20,000 square feet of ground-floor shops and commercial space, plus landscaped pedestrian paths linking the IBM Building to Ka Lei Park. Hawaii News Now describes the new park as one acre.
Those 20,000 square feet will open when the towers do. Until then, the corridor along Auahi Street and Ward Avenue, plus the park between them, carries the errands Ward Centre used to handle.
November Around the Park
The fall calendar shows where Ward Village holds its events now: at Kōʻula, along South Shore Market and on the park lawn.
- Kakaʻako Farmers Market, every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at 919 Ala Moana Blvd., on Nov. 7, 14, 21 and 28.
- First Saturday, Nov. 7 at Kōʻula Shops on Auahi Street, starting at 1 p.m., with a Holey Grail Donuts specialty treat and StretchLab offers while supplies last.
- Aloha Friday Music in the Park, Nov. 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Victoria Ward Park Mauka, with Evan Khay.
- Elf Scavenger Hunt, Nov. 27 through Dec. 15, with elves hidden around South Shore Market, Ward Entertainment Center and the Kamakeʻe Corridor.
The first two fall on the same Saturday. You can pick up produce in the morning, go back for donuts at Kōʻula after lunch, and have Kamitoku ramen at South Shore Market for dinner without walking past the old site at all.
If the changes around the old Ward Centre block have you thinking about what they mean for your home in Ward Village or nearby in Kakaako, Seiko Ono can walk you through it in English or Japanese. Request a confidential consultation.
