Not too long ago, you had to drive into Kona, Waimea or up to the village of Waikoloa to find grocery stores on the Kohala Coast. That’s not the case anymore. Two new 
grocery stores have opened in recent months in the Kohala Coast resort areas. At the Shops at Mauna Lani, you’ll find a small but well stocked Foodland store. In the Waikoloa Resort, you’ll find a new Island Gourmet Market in the brand new Queens’ MarketPlace.
At the Kings’ Shops, there’s the Whaler’s General Store, but I’d suggest you give that a skip for grocery shopping until they bring their prices down to something half way reasonable. I’d imagine they’ll need to make some changes in order to be competitive. If I remember correctly, a loaf of bread cost something near $6 there.
Here’s a couple of vacation budget stretcher tips:
- Sign up for the store loyalty cards to get extra discounts. For example, at Foodland, pick up an application and temporary Maikai card.
- Take advantage of the free entertainment offered at these three shopping centers. (See my suggestion for an inexpensive dinner show.)
Sheila Beal
Andy Beal
4 comments
Sheila, this is a great subject, especially now that food has gone up even more in HI (and elsewhere.) We loved the deli in the gourmet market at the Shops at Muana Lani. They had great selections for taking on a picnic or to the beach, still somewhat spendy, but much cheaper than eating out.
We also purchased things to take back to the condo for dinner a couple of times. We stopped into the market in Waikoloa Village one day while whale watching in that area and were pleasantly surprised by their deli as well. Pinching a few pennies on breakfast and lunch leaves more money for those fabulous dinners. The gourmet market at Muana Lani was packed while we were there, so I hope they do well, the drive down to Kona to get food can be a drag:-0
Hi Sheila- Signing up for the Maikai card is a great idea! I’ve definitely saved $$ by using it! I also bring my Safeway and Costco cards to get very good deals.
@ Jan – I totally agree on saving some money on breakfast and lunch and not feel guilty on having a nice meal for dinner. The resort breakfast buffets usually cost somewhere between $25 – $30 per person. That can add up quickly over the course of your stay – for your wallet and waistline. 🙂
@ Nathalie – We don’t have Foodlands or Safeways in NC, but I have loyalty cards for both that I keep in my Hawaii travel file. 🙂 We just got a Costco in Raleigh last year. I haven’t been in it yet. I need to see if they offer a free visit just to check it out.
You have to go to Costco!! I’m sure they’ll allow you to scope out the place.