What? No more Pizza and Tacos?!
March 26th, 2008 by KristenOn Saturday, March 15, a friend who teaches at Noelani with me sent out a mass e-mail to a bunch of our co-workers. It read something like this:
FYI- The Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in Manoa Marketplace are closing on Tuesday! Read here to find out more.
Yes, this was very big news to our Noelani lunch group. We have given the little take-out fast food joint lots of business over the years! At least once a month, one of us would call in an order and make a lunch run to Taco Bell. And the delicious Pizza Hut pizzas would show up as faculty refreshments a few times a year (just last month, the purchased pizza saved my grade level from having to prepare refreshments- picking up pizza is so much easier than slaving away in the kitchen!).
The closing of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell really came as a surprise to us, as I’m sure it did to many others in the community. I would always see the place full of kids after school grabbing a quick snack, or moms and dads heading to their cars with a stack of pizza boxes in their hands at dinnertime.
Now comes the big question- what will occupy the space left behind? Does anyone have the inside scoop? I’m personally hoping for another eatery! If you could choose what would take Taco Bell/Pizza Hut’s space, what would it be?
The letter that was posted for a few days prior to the closing of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell
Pizza Hut and Taco Bell officially closed
Tags: Manoa Marketplace, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell
March 27th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
First!
Looks like I’ll be the one to break in this blog … as a fellow Manoan, I was surprised to hear that they closed down. Don’t know why they closed, but my best guess is they were short staffed. I don’t think it was a business (money) issued because they looked like they were doing well … but they were super slow (moving). I don’t know what’s taking that place over though. Would be funny if they put a Papa John’s there. After all, there was Little Caesar’s there before Pizza Hut.
April 11th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Wow a Manoa blog! I am also a Manoa resident and I love it– the natural beauty, the easy access to everything in Honoulul, and the convenience of restaurants and necessity shopping close by.
Another food place would be great– a personal choice is another “I love Country Kitchen” lite version which might fit for takeout and sidewalk eating. But I think the space works better for another pizza place or possibly fast food mexican of some kind.
April 18th, 2008 at 3:49 am
I lived in Manoa for 8 years, but my job casued me to move to the mainland last year. I really miss Manoa. It was the most beautiful place I have ever lived. All of the residents of this community are truly blessed to be surrounded by wonderful people and unparalleled beauty. I recall spending Saturday morning’s at one of the two coffee shops with my young children. I recall some years ago a previous coffee show that used to have a real violin player serande the patrons. That was awesome. I live in Texas now, and after a year, I still read the Honolulu papers daily and long to be back. I hope the space vacated by Pizza Hut / Taco Bell will be replaced by some form of eatery that will allow the families of Manoa to spend time together, with each other, and with other folks in Manoa. A hui hou!
April 18th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
be serious. pizza hut and taco bell are owned by pepsi, the purveyor of soda sugar water, corporate pseudo-food, nothing to miss, except obesity, diabetes, and supporting non-local unliving wage jobs, not to mention overseas.
April 18th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Speaking of coffee shops, I was a regular at the old Coffee Manoa (where Manoa Barbecue is now) run by Kathy Maddox. The first coffee shop in Manoa that I know of– a real local shop and not part of a chain, great coffee and espresso and home made scones and pastries.
The coffee bean has been a great addition to Manoa Shopping Center, though. A place to sit and sip or meet friends. Stop there several times a week coming and going and sometimes work there off my laptop.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:35 pm
ekibastos
ekibastos
May 16th, 2008 at 5:28 am
I’m kind of surprised they closed down as well. They seemed to be doing alright from a business perspective and I never had a problem with the speed of their service. By the way “mick in wahiawa”, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut are owned by Yum Brands not Pepsi. It is bad food for your health but just take it in moderation. Too much of anything is bad for you. Maybe they can open a KFC there, (another Yum Brands company). I hated having to drive to the McCully KFC with all the traffic. Once I’m in the valley I don’t want to go back out again. Oh, and that hamburger place next to the former Pizza Hut/Taco Bell location has the best burgers in my opinion. I forgot the name of the restaurant but if you like a good burger check it out. Unfortunately I didn’t find out about the place until shortly before I moved to Seattle. And I lived in Manoa most of my life!
Kristen, can you start a blog about Lowrey Ave.? That road is the pits! They topcoated that road some years back but for at least a couple of years now it has deteriorated so badly that I would have to hold my Starbucks in my hand while driving home to keep from having it spill all over the place. I’d like to know when they plan on paving it. It seems like they were done with the road construction the last time I was back there (December 2007)
May 16th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Thanks for the comments, everyone! JT- a KFC would be GREAT! Not the healthiest, but every so often, I do crave fried chicken =) Great suggestion about the Lowrey Ave. road as a topic for a blog. I hate driving that bumpy road as well. In fact, I refuse to go down it!