RIP Grapes Hilo

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

The first personally-known to me Covid-19 casualty. Not to belittle the physical human toll but this is the first permanent business closure I am personally aware of. And the Hilo wine and dining scene is the worse for it. Now the nearest specialty fine wine store is 100 miles away in Kona. The same day the Dow closes up 900 points because stimulus or vaccine or FOMO or something.

[William P]

Hey Art, there's Kamuela Liquors in Waimea, which has great selection at good prices. There's Foodland Farms at the Mauna Lani Shopping Center which has many fine wines at decent prices. Then as you say there's Kona Wine Market and Costco which has vastly improve it's quality over the last three years. Still, sorry to hear about Grapes. I never made it over there. Oh then there's Island Gourmet Market, nah.

Bill

[AKR]

Bloomberg had a long story today about how HI is jailing visitors.

My takeaway from it wasn't 'what smart guys' it was more 'i guess i'm not going there for another 5 years'

I guess they better expect more of this if the locals aren't supporting these purveyors.

[William P]

For the sake of accuracy, Hawaii isn't just jailing tourist. They have a law that all visitors to the State must quarantine themselves for 14 days upon arrival. The people who are being arrested are breaking the quarantine and then bragging about it on Facebook and Instagram. They knew the law before they decided to go to the Islands and they broke it.