On the quaint north shore of Oahu lays the small town of Haleiwa, adorned with old buildings, signage, and shops from a bygone era. Aoki’s Shave Ice is one of these places, much loved by tourists and locals alike. It’s rickety wooden structure, small outdoor eating area, colorful décor, and tasty shave ice flavors are what give it its charm, but owners say they will close down their doors sometime next year.
Kamehameha Schools own the building, along with many other shops in Haleiwa, and say they plan to tear down Aoki’s as part of their redevelopment plan for Oahu’s north shore. Right down the street is Matsumoto’s Shave Ice, another popular shop, which will be renovated by Kamehameha Schools, along with replicas of other buildings to be constructed during the process. The Aoki family recently opened a new country store named “Aoki’s North Shore Trading Co.”, which was purchased six years prior.
They plan to sell their famous shave ice from this property in the future, so Aoki fans don’t despair!