Hale Kanikapila reopens former Hilo tavern, revives Keawe Street nightlife

Hale Kanikapila opened in the former Hilo Town Tavern space at 143 Keawe St., putting a familiar downtown room back into use at a time when Keawe Street is trying to reclaim its nighttime pull. The new restaurant, bar, and performance venue is more than a single opening: it is a deliberate effort to restore a spot that has long helped define Hilo’s after-dark economy.

Building owner Issa Hilwe moved quickly after the tavern’s previous tenants left unexpectedly in 2025. He reached out to people he believed could help revive downtown Hilo’s energy, and that search led to a four-person partnership built around keeping the property active rather than turning it into something unrecognizable. The result is Hale Kanikapila, a venue meant to serve food, pour drinks, and host live music in the same room.

The ownership group combines local experience and outside perspective. Thom and Jeyne Kerns have run Big Island Brewhaus in Waimea for more than 15 years, and Thom Kerns brought in brewmaster Fal Allen, who had been working with Anderson Valley Brewing Company and planned to return to Hawaii with his partner, Jen Grieco. The team began renovating in December, repainting the interior from black to yellow and burgundy, extending the bar, improving the restrooms, and removing a wall to create more room. Clearing the attic, packed with assorted items, became part of the transformation too.

The liquor commission filing tied to the project was made by Kanikapila Cafe, LLC for an original restaurant general liquor license at 168 Keawe Street. The same filing listed a related trade name, Keawe Trading Post, at that address, underscoring how closely the business is being stitched into the existing block rather than set apart from it.

That location matters because downtown Hilo has been trying to keep more people moving through the area after dark. The Hilo Downtown Improvement Association says events including First Fridays and Black & White Night draw thousands of attendees and help stimulate the local economy. Hale Kanikapila fits that model by adding another reason for people to stay in town later, hear live music, and linger over food and drinks.

The building also carries its own nightlife history. Hilo Town Tavern hosted the monthly drag show PINK! starting in 2017, and by 2022 tickets for Friday night shows were selling out quickly. In March 2020, it was still described as a popular Hilo watering hole and entertainment venue. Long before that, in 2015, the tavern was preparing to produce house-made beer and spirits under a small craft producer pub license. Hale Kanikapila now takes over a site that has repeatedly served as a test case for what downtown Hilo can be when the lights stay on and the music keeps going.