Maui Business Report
Wai Not?
Owners of Wailuku’s new bar decided the town needed more night life
Partners Amanda Wilson, Johnny Wilson and Michelle Halcomb didn’t set out to open a bar. But when they noticed a commercial space open for rent on Wailuku’s Market Street, across from the town’s historic Iao Theater, they knew it would be the perfect place to open a watering hole.
“There was no night life,” says Halcomb, who already owned an art gallery in the Central Maui town. “There’s a lot of cool people here and nowhere fun and classy to go. A bar is what we were lacking. We wanted a music venue and booze.”
The trio opened Wai Bar earlier this year — choosing the name in honor of the town that inspired it. “I’ve always thought Wailuku’s such a gem,” says Amanda Wilson. “It’s got great architecture, it’s a walking town.”
Amanda Wilson, (from left), Michelle Halcomb, and Johnny Wilson are co-owners of the Wai Bar in Wailuku. Photos: Ryan Siphers
But it wasn’t easy. While Maui County has funded a number of redevelopment and revitalization projects in Wailuku town, the Wilsons and Halcomb said the permitting process was one of their biggest hurdles to opening shop. While Wailuku’s old buildings are part of its charm, they also require significant renovation to bring up to code for commercial use. With many leaseholders unwilling to invest in renovations, the costs associated with those improvements fall to tenants, Halcomb says, and the process of lining up necessary permits was time consuming and confusing.
The county could help by providing an expediter, Halcomb says. “So many times you don’t know what to do until you’ve done the wrong thing,” she says.
But, she says, the time and expense they put into opening the bar has been worth it. “We’d hoped that all different walks of life could come to one place and feel comfortable,” she says. “The moment we opened the doors, people have been flooding in.”
In addition to cocktails, Wai Bar hosts performances by local bands.
The bar has become particularly known as a venue for local bands and DJs. Live music serves their larger goal of building community, the partners say, and dovetails with Johnny Wilson’s previous career in the music industry in Los Angeles. “I wanted to do something that got back to my roots,” he says.
Amanda Wilson says she’s been overwhelmed by the support not just of patrons, but of the neighboring shops, cafes, and restaurants. The bar hosted a holiday party for merchants at the end of last year, she notes, and other business owners came up to thank her for opening the bar.
“Everyone’s cheering us on,” she says. “We feel the most blessed.”
Johnny Wilson says he loves seeing different groups come into the bar to relax, socialize, and celebrate. “Every night brings something new that we would never expect,” he says.
