Foodland Farms Lahaina to reopen Wednesday

Foodland Super Market Ltd. said Monday that Foodland Farms Lahaina will reopen at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Lahaina Gateway following a traditional Hawaiian blessing. Foodland Farms Lahaina has been closed since the Aug. 8 wildfire which devastated the West Maui town that has been home to the store for almost 14 years.

“All of us at Foodland are so excited to be reopening Foodland Farms Lahaina after so many months,” said Foodland Chairman and CEO Jenai Wall. “Our employees look forward to reuniting with each other and our customers and are especially grateful to be able to serve the West Maui community again. We hope this important reopening will bring some sense of normalcy to the people of Lahaina whose lives were so disrupted and changed by the fires. And we are humbled by the opportunity to contribute in some small way to Lahaina’s healing and future.”

The 14,000-square-foot store and Foodland Lahaina — its larger sister market located off Front Street — shut down on the day of the wildfire. Foodland Farms Lahaina was largely spared, sustaining smoke damage but no structural damage. It remained closed in the months that followed as electricity and water were restored to the area. The store was evaluated for structural damage and safety, then cleaned thoroughly, refreshed and restocked for business. Welcoming customers back will be a team of 43 employees who worked at Foodland Farms Lahaina and Foodland Lahaina prior to the wildfires.

Foodland Lahaina, situated in the town’s oceanside historic district, remains closed due to the area’s sustained damages though the store’s structure remains standing. There is currently no company timetable for the reopening of Foodland Lahaina.