Text by Jade Snow
Images by John Hook and courtesy of Hana Kitchens
Walking through the winding hallways of Hana Kitchens, a culinary incubator in downtown Honolulu, I ready myself to embark on a gastronomic exploration. On any given day, the intoxicating aromas of buttery cookies, herbaceous spices, decadent chocolate, or umami-rich pasta sauces may waft through the air. The atmosphere is calm yet electric as each business settles into its designated kitchen space to begin a busy day of cooking. On the day of my visit, sourdough rises in one kitchen in preparation for Fatto a Mano’s evening cooking class while the savory lamb kebabs and koftas at Middle Eats await pickup from a food delivery service. An array of local chefs work side by side at the steel countertops and sizzling stovetops, offering up a mix plate of cuisines that mirror Hawai‘i’s cultural and culinary diversity.
Founded in 2021 by Joe Di Condina, Hana Kitchens is a state-of-the-art facility featuring private and shared kitchens of various sizes; two ghost kitchens designed for made-to-order delivery items; and a chic midcentury modern show kitchen for cooking classes, pop-up restaurants, private dinners, and content creation. The designated Class-A commercial kitchens are certified to meet stringent public health standards while also accommodating complex cooking activities. In the artfully designed show kitchen, for example, guests learn to cook a diverse array of cuisines and culinary techniques, from homemade pasta to lau lau.
For Di Condina, the company represents the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, combining his professional expertise in food, marketing, and real estate. Born and raised on the East Coast, he grew up immersed in the restaurant industry, learning the trade from his father, a restaurateur who instilled in him a profound passion for food and business. He leveraged his industry knowledge to scale beverage brands like Rockstar Energy, playing a pivotal role in its branding, marketing, sales,
and distribution.
Di Condina’s success led him to explore real estate, beginning his career as a realtor in New York City. Love eventually led him to Hawai‘i, where he settled with his Honolulu-born wife to start a family. Although he knew he didn’t want to open a restaurant, he still dreamed of creating a community space to contribute to the local culinary scene, a vision ultimately manifested into Hana Kitchens.
When the space opened amid the pandemic, it was at a pivotal moment for the food industry. Businesses both locally and globally were struggling to navigate the economic challenges caused by Covid-19. With dine-in services halted, many restaurants focused on delivery operations or closed their doors entirely. “[The pandemic] changed the landscape of the food industry,” Di Condina reflects, explaining that while food delivery services were well established in major metropolitan cities like New York City, they had yet to gain widespread adoption in Hawai‘i. “The pandemic was the catalyst to get people to order delivery. It made owners realize they didn’t necessarily need a brick-and-mortar to run a successful food business.”
As any restaurateur can attest, running a restaurant is no easy feat. While the industry has seen workforce and sales growth since the pandemic, a 2024 report by the National Restaurant Association revealed significant difficulties: Ninety-eight percent of national operators cited higher labor costs as a pressing issue, with over a third reporting that their restaurants were unprofitable in 2023. Among other barriers were rising food costs and a shortage of employees to meet customer demands. In Hawai‘i, these challenges are further amplified by disproportionately high rent and maintenance costs for brick-and-mortar operations, along with labor shortages.
For business owners like Tom Walker of ‘Ohana Nui Cookie Company, support systems like Hana Kitchens have become a valuable asset. Walker faced numerous obstacles in previous kitchens, including inadequate space and equipment. “In the baking industry, you usually deal with humidity issues, but as an island-based business, you also have to contend with limited facilities, people, and ingredients. Everything is premium, so you have to manage your resources,” he says. In 2022, Walker moved from his original kitchen on Queen Street to Hana Kitchens, where he has been producing his Hawai‘i-grown macadamia nut cookies since. The switch has allowed him to follow his dreams while reducing any overhead investment. “You can really focus on creating,” he says. “Having the freedom to develop new flavors and products, or pivot or reinvent yourself, is a gift.”
Talia and Kelly Bongolan-Schwartz, owners of Tali’s Bagels & Schmear, also attribute part of their success to Hana Kitchens. After starting the business in 2021, developing recipes in their home kitchen and selling small batches via Instagram, they joined the community space to scale their production. There, they expanded their menu offerings and produced products for sale in the local farmers market scene. By 2023, Tali’s Bagels & Schmear outgrew its open-air stall and opened two storefront locations in Honolulu and Kailua, where customers can savor the Jewish comforts of its bagels, bialys, schmears, and sandwiches. The duo continues to produce at Hana Kitchens, which has allowed their business to evolve and their ideas to innovate. “Joe has been vital to our success. He always asks how he can help expand our business and offers support. He wants everyone to be successful, which is really amazing and rare,” Kelly says.
Over the years, Hana Kitchens has welcomed nearly three dozen tenants, including Banán, the Local General Store, Little Sparrow, Milk Market, and Dos Jefes. In addition to premium workspaces, Hana Kitchens also offers comprehensive marketing services, including professional photography and videography, and fills its website and social media platform with content showcasing the cuisines and personalities found in its kitchens. “I’ve always had a special place in my heart for small businesses,” says Di Condina. “I really enjoy working with owners and supporting their growth.”
On this particular Friday night in November, the show kitchen is abuzz with anticipation for a sold-out pizza-making class led by Fatto a Mano owner James Orlando. As the class begins, Orlando distributes rounds of his prized naturally leavened sourdough pizza to each guest while sharing stories about his culinary journey. Before long, the room is filled with laughter as participants try their hands at kneading and stretching the dough, eager to learn a new skill and savor the fruits of their labor. If food reflects culture, history and heritage thrive under newfound models of collaboration in the skilled hands of the chefs at Hana Kitchens. Tomorrow brings another day of expressing culture through food, another chapter in the islands’ ever-evolving culinary story of influences from near and far.
