Our model spans 4 Key Pillars:
- A public market destination restaurants and eateries featuring local culinary students, foods & products that attract residents and visitors alike.
- A food innovation and processing facility that provides educational resources and incubator facilities and equipment to Hawaiʻi farmers and burgeoning food manufacturers.
- A visitor education experience that conveys the unique history and cultures of Hawaiʻi through the lens of food and agriculture.
- A research & innovation center that includes research facilities and office space for agriculture technology start-ups, university students, and venture capital firms.
A Public Market Destination
Creating Community by Linking Urban & Rural Economies
There are currently 230 markets in Hawaiʻi today (HDOA), with most located in Oahu. Most of these markets are small, temporary, and impermanent. None of them create the impact that Hawaiʻi needs and deserves.
We will create a world-class market district with supportive retailing opportunities for local farmers, food merchants, restaurants and culinary students as well as a wide variety of complementary businesses. Leveraging our agri-innovation cluster, public markets will provide a platform for local producers and entrepreneurs that preserves and sustains local farms, and offers authentic culinary and food experiences for visitors. The market will become the heart and soul of the community and promote the growth of a local, sustainable food production model.
Food Innovation and Processing Facility
Supporting Food Entrepreneurs from Concept to Commercialization
Hawaiʻi has a vast amount of high quality, great tasting local food products. The problem is that there is a ceiling inhibiting their growth. This food manufacturer incubation center will fill in the gaps in local infrastructure and education that currently exist. Food manufacturers will have the opportunity make their products in a certified commercial facility while learning new skills, lowering the overall entrepreneurial risk and helping our local products to succeed locally, nationally, and internationally.
Food processing facilities will also allow farmers to profit from currently unused, unsellable produce while also providing entrepreneurs with the materials needed to develop authentic Hawai‘i branded specialty products that can be sold at a premium to appreciative consumers.
Visitor Education Experience
Teaching residents and visitors about Hawaiʻi’s food and agriculture history
This campus will serve as a global center for culinary and agricultural education and innovation in Hawaiʻi, offering engaging, hands-on experiences that teach visitors and residents about the significant role agriculture and food has played in the history of Hawaiʻi.
The center will feature engaging educational attractions, retail spaces for established and up and coming Hawaiʻian brands, and offer genuine dining experiences by famous chefs, new local chefs, and culinary students.
Research & Innovation Center
Research, education & incubator facilities for ag-tech start-ups
Our state-of-the art education and research facilities will conduct grant-funded research and provide a gathering hub for ag-tech entrepreneurs, University students, international representatives, and venture capital firms. The conference center will hold specialized conferences related to culinary and/or agricultural innovation, establishing Hawai‘i’s reputation as a global center of innovation for food and agriculture.