Island Fresh, Then & Now
Pā’ia has always been a small town with so much to offer. Over the last century, the area that now houses the restaurants and shops of Pā’ia town has evolved with the changing times.
In the early 1900s, Pā’ia was divided between Upper and Lower, as the mill was the center of the action. The plantation villages in Upper Pā’ia created an entire network of communities with homes, schools, events and endless recreation.
There was a railway that connected Kahului and Pā’ia right to our spot, where the Island Fresh Cafe now lives. This rail provided transportation for humans and crops beginning in 1910. The introduction of the railway connected the community from town (Kahului) to an expanding Pā’ia municipality.
In the 1930’s, Kahului Railroad introduced a bus line that replaced rail for the people of Central and East Maui. At this time Pā’ia was bustling with a population of around 10,000! Business began to explode here during WWII as more than 200,000 military personnel passed through Maui during this time.
In the post WWII years the mill and plantations shut down, and Pā’ia was abandoned for a more centrally located Kahului. In the late 1960s a hippie movement began to anchor into Pā’ia, reviving the postwar desertion. In the 1980s an international windsurfing and surf culture began to take root in Pā’ia and North Shore Maui, helping progress Pā’ia into the fun, vintage small town beach vibe it embodies today.
The relationship we have with our history, our farms, and our community, upholds the commitment that the Island Fresh Cafe & Farm Stand keeps to this important Pā’ia landmark. The Island Fresh Cafe is a gathering place; a sacred space that was built on the work of our ancestors to create community and share the spirit of aloha, which incorporates a communion with the land.
Our greatest devotion is to serve you fresh food from our island paradise, that has been sustainably grown with aloha love. We have relationships with farms and farmers all throughout Maui, as we are dedicated to keeping our ingredients as local as possible, and supporting the people who tend to the land. Our cafe space and garden oasis grounds are set back up Baldwin Ave from the main bustle of Pā’ia town, so you can dine with ease and savor the sweet reminiscent breeze of old Pā’ia.
One of our customers said to me today, “I feel more than fed; I feel nourished in my body and my heart.” When you come to Island Fresh Cafe, you will feel the distinctive vibes. Whether you’re looking for something healthy or something indulgent, we invite you in to relax and enjoy the vintage Pā’ia feel, where history meets aloha!