KEPPING IT IN THE FAMILY
Café Hale‘iwa has been feeding the best surfers in the world since 1982. The food is top notch and everyone and their moms (literally) are there for breakfast. “Me and my wife Jackie moved over here from California, and wanted to open up a California style café, and now we’ve been going strong for more then 25 years.” says Duncan Campbell the man behind the Café.
Some of the popular menu items include “Breakfast in a Barrel,” their rendition of a breakfast burrito or an “Off the Lip,” two eggs, your choice of meat, and their homemade fries. Both are very delicious. They are known for their breakfast but they also have a great lunch menu.
Two doors over, in a nice old-fashioned building is the Bonzer Front, which is run by Duncan’s daughter Megan Campbell. Not only does the Bonzer Front act as a retail outlet, Duncan also uses the space for art shows, video premiers, and musical acts. The Bonzer is some thing Duncan and his brother Malcolm have been working on for a very long time. “My brother shapes all the boards, I do graphic work for logos and our t-shirts and what not. We keep it a family business. I want to pass everything on to our kids and their kids.” Duncan’s been in business in Hale‘iwa since the early 80s, he has seen the ups and downs of the developing economy, and he looks forward to positive growth.
Zen: So you guys started Café Hale‘iwa?
Duncan Campbell: Yes, we started it. It was a small saimin joint called Twin Bridges Saimin that was there for 20 years. The good lady that wanted to retire let us take it over. It took us a long time and now we’ve built up a good clientele, and with good service and great food we can keep it going.
Since you guys have been in business for a while now, how has the developing North Shore community affected you?
In 1982, business was slow when we started. The Triple Crown just started and we relied on the traveling surfers. There were hardly any tourists out here. Since professional surfing became mainstream it has brought a lot of attention on the North Shore which has caused a dramatic change in lifestyle out here. The traffic is bad. I live 7 miles away and it takes me one hour to get here sometimes. Come on it’s 7 miles.
So you don’t like the changes?
I did raise a family here and I have kids and grandkids. You never want them to leave so when the community grows, it gives them a chance to stay here and do what they want. As long as it is a sustainable growth, I think it is great. But the business has been better for sure, ridiculously better.
How is the Bonzer Front doing?
We use it to showcase our creative side of things. We have boards, our clothing, a brand that Gerry Lopez does called SRF, and a bunch of artwork that we enjoy. We like to use the venue as an outlet for creative things. The North Shore didn’t really have a place for that kind of stuff. Hawai‘i has many talented creative people and we wanted to show that down here.
Any upcoming events?
We have a big event for our 40-year anniversary for Campbell Brother’s Surfboards. That will be in November. We have a big plans for that one, many famous musicians that we can’t talk about yet. Some other stuff in the works. Primo has been a big supporter with all of our events so it’s been helpful. If any artists or musicians want to do anything on the North Shore, come through and let’s do something creative.
Any last words about the North Shore?
Keep the Country country as they say but you have to let it grow. It’s for the kids, we don’t want a brain drain. We want the kids to be able to stay if they want to. And have a creative place to live and grow up that is healthy and not overly competitive. That’s the kind of place I want it to be.
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ダンカンキャンベル
NorthShoreいちの朝ご飯スポット「Cafe Haleiwa」をもう25年も経営している。最近では隣に家族でやっている「BonzerFrontをオープンした。兄弟のマルコムがシェイプするボンザーやハレイワのアートムーブメントの為に使っている。
