The Story
From beach batches
to broke da mouth.
Hawaiian Licks began the way so many great Hawaiian businesses do — at the beach. What followed was a whirlwind of sellouts, press, and a plant-based recipe that changed everything.
The Beginning
It started at the beach.
We spent our weeks churning small batches of nice cream, only to sell out in a single day. Demand grew so quickly that by spring 2018, we opened our first shop in Hilo, HI.
Spring 2018
Our first shop in Hilo.
Word quickly spread, and we were selling out regularly. Local restaurants and stores started asking about wholesale, and just three months after opening, a Whole Foods forager reached out — but we had to turn them down because we didn't have the capacity.
Year 1 → Year 2
818% growth.
Demand increased as we expanded capacity. Before long, we were churning 50 gallons a day and still had a six-week waitlist for wholesale orders. Between our first and second year, orders skyrocketed by 818%. It was the best problem to have.
Year 2
Best plant-based ice cream in the U.S.
Hawaiian Licks was named one of the best plant-based ice creams in the U.S. by YourKompas.com, and we were featured in Hawaii Magazine, AAA Magazine, Big Island Revealed, Big Island Traveler, Frolic Hawaii, and countless blogs and newspapers — from Australia to Korea, the mainland, and even Alaska.
The Reviews
5 stars across the board.
We earned 5-star reviews across most platforms (Google's 4.8 still haunts us) and received the coveted "People Love Us on Yelp" award.
The Secret
We cracked the code.
We created a frozen dessert that tastes just like traditional dairy ice cream — rich, creamy, and full of real flavor. Many customers told us they preferred Hawaiian Licks over other brands and even over dairy itself.
Fall 2021
A difficult goodbye.
We made the difficult decision to close our doors due to the impacts of COVID and personal issues that impacted the owner.