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Maui Bread Company’s Elfi Blurton (left) and Kristen Saunders help a long line of customers after opening on the morning of March 3. The bakery featuring authentic German breads, rolls, cookies and pretzels, as well as local-style sweet breads and pastries, was recently named No. 72 in Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat 2023. The list features mostly Mainland restaurants. “We were flabbergasted,” said Steven Lange, who co-owns the business with wife Christine Lange. “We were extremely honored and grateful. It is something I was not even thinking of.” Maui Bread Company recently launched “Da Bread Bus,” a converted short school bus which appears on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to noon at the food court across from Costco. The Kihei store is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays to Tuesdays. The Maui News / MATTHE THAYER photos

Maui Bread Co. debuts ‘Bread Bus’

Maui Bread Company’s brick-and-mortar shop at the Dolphin Plaza in Kihei has launched “Da Bread Bus” to serve a wider audience.

The mobile business will be parked at the food truck court across from Costco in front of the Marriott Hotel from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays, the company announced last month.

The bus will carry a selection of sweet breakfast items, pastries, sweet breads, cookies, “Brotchen” (German for dinner rolls), pretzels and pretzel croissants and a variety of German artisan breads.

Maui Bread Company, founded in 2016, received TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award 2022 in December and was recently included on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. this year.

Master German baker Michel Heinze carries a tray of warm brioche from Maui Bread Company’s ovens to its storefront at Dolphin Plaza on March 3 in Kihei.

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Earth Aloha Eats opens Kihei site

Earth Aloha Eats, a family-owned restaurant, has opened its first brick-and-mortar location in Kihei after operating two food trucks for several years, the company announced last month.

With a focus on sustainability and supporting local communities, the restaurant’s menu is 100 percent plant-based and includes options for every taste and dietary preference.

Earth Aloha Eats is open for lunch and dinner. 

To learn more about the restaurant, visit www.earthalohaeats.com or follow them on Instagram @earthalohaeats.

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Dippin’ Dots opens in Kahului 

Dippin’ Dots, known for its flash-frozen beaded ice cream, has opened a 700-square-foot store in Kahului. 

The location at 312 Alamaha St. near Jack’s Inn officially opened in December. 

It sells 16 flavors, including the brand-new ICEE Cherry ‘N Blue Razz flavor. 

The store also features a 12-seat birthday zone. It offers catering for social gatherings and special events on Maui, Oahu and Hawaii island.

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Maui CPB lenders earn recognition

Two Maui lenders earned top honors as Central Pacific Bank received the most awards and recognition of any local bank from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Hawaii Pacific-Islands District Office, including Lender of the Year Category 2 for 2022. 

CPB has received this award 13 times since 2007, according to a news release Wednesday. 

According to SBA Hawaii Deputy District Director Hazel Beck, “SBA’s Lender of the Year awards recognize financial institutions that have approved the highest number of SBA-backed loans in a given fiscal year.” 

In addition, CPB was recognized as the Lender of the Year for the most loans provided to veteran-owned businesses.

CPB employees were also awarded 16 of the 18 individual SBA Lending Officer of the Year categories.

On Maui, CPB’s Chelsey Covington and Pat Matsumoto won SBA Lending Officer of the Year Gold Awards.

The awards were announced in a ceremony held on March 6.

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Kapalua resort adds private fire pits

The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua unveiled a new room category, The Fire Lanai Collection, which is the final phase of its $100 million transformation. 

With this addition, the hotel became the only resort in Hawaii to offer guest rooms with private fire pits, the resort said in a news release last month.  

The Fire Lanai Collection consists of 33 guestrooms and suites. Each room or suite features extended lanais with a private fire pit, custom outdoor lounge furniture and a dining table, along with views of Kapalua’s landscape.

To learn more about The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua and reserve The Fire Lanai Collection experience, visit ritzcarlton.com/maui or call (808) 669-6200.

Maui Bread Company’s Elfi Blurton (left) and Kristen Saunders help a long line of customers after opening on the morning of March 3. The bakery featuring authentic German breads, rolls, cookies and pretzels, as well as local-style sweet breads and pastries, was recently named No. 72 in Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat 2023. The list features mostly Mainland restaurants. “We were flabbergasted,” said Steven Lange, who co-owns the business with wife Christine Lange. “We were extremely honored and grateful. It is something I was not even thinking of.” Maui Bread Company recently launched “Da Bread Bus,” a converted short school bus which appears on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to noon at the food court across from Costco. The Kihei store is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays to Tuesdays. The Maui News / MATTHE THAYER photos Master German baker Michel Heinze carries a tray of warm brioche from Maui Bread Company’s ovens to its storefront at Dolphin Plaza on March 3 in Kihei.

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