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The Maui Tropical Plantation in Waikapu, pictured here Wednesday, is closing indefinitely with its owner saying, “we will be back.” The Maui News/MELISSA TANJI photo
A day after reports began circulating about the Maui Tropical Plantation closing indefinitely, its owner said Wednesday that the visitor attraction “will survive.”
“We will be back. When, I don’t know,” said Mike “Coach” Atherton.
He described the Waikapu plantation as a hospitality business catering to tourists, who come to ride a tram through agricultural fields or to zip line and shop in the Plantation Store for souvenirs, snacks and made-on-Maui products.
Locals also are known to bring keiki to the duck pound or to eat at The Mill House restaurant, which also will be closed.
But Kumu Farms will continue to operate, along with the adjacent agriculture operations, Atherton said.
Actually, some shutdowns already were in the works for the next year or so, including the tram and zip line, he said. Those attractions would not co-exist with his planned Waikapu County Town development, which calls for 1,400 single-family, multifamily and rural units, commercial space, parks and open space and an elementary school surrounding the Maui Tropical Plantation.
COVID-19’s impact on the Tropical Plantation sped up the process to close the attractions, he said.
As for reopening the Tropical Plantation, he said: “We don’t know when this thing (will be) over and the tourists come back. That’s your answer right there.”
In May, visitor arrivals statewide were down 99 percent to 9,116, compared to 841,376 last year. On Maui, 1,054 visitors came in May, down from 249,208 a year ago.
Before the pandemic, Atherton said the restaurant and the Tropical Plantation had been doing well. “The last three years had been rock and roll,” he said of the business and visitors.
But now, with the pandemic and nonexistent tourist market, Atherton has had to cut his staff, which was 293 when the operation was in “full swing,” to six. He said some employees have been with the Tropical Plantation for 30 years.
The Mill House is not the only restaurant to have to close its doors. Others in high tourist areas recently announced their closure.
Da Kitchen in Kihei will close Sunday after 22 years, according to a Facebook post. Its Kahului location near the airport will remain open.
“Financially, this location cannot sustain long term under the current economic conditions that the state of Hawaii is in. We are taking this as an opportunity to reevaluate the future of our brand,” the post said about the Kihei site.
Da Kitchen owners could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but the post said that it “has been incredibly humbling, as well as heartbreaking, to finally have to make this decision.”
Ruth’s Chris Steak House in the Outlets of Maui in Lahaina also has closed. A phone number for the restaurant appeared to have been disconnected Wednesday.
“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our Lahaina restaurant location,” an email statement from Ruth’s Hospitality Group said Wednesday. “We value the dedication and hard work of all our employees, and we greatly appreciate our guests and the community that has supported us for almost 22 years. We look forward to celebrating and serving our loyal guests sizzling steaks at our other Ruth’s Chris Steak House locations across the country.”
The Ruth’s Chris Steak House in The Shops at Wailea remains “temporarily closed,” according its website.
Things are tough as well for celebrity Chef Bev Gannon, who operates Haliimaile General Store, Gannon’s in Wailea and Celebrations Catering, which are all shuttered. There have been rumors circulating about her selling the restaurants.
Gannon said Wednesday that for the last two years or so, her mantra has been: “Hey, you want to buy a restaurant?” At 71, Gannon said if someone made her an offer she couldn’t refuse, she would retire.
But she doesn’t think that will happen, especially now with the pandemic and no tourism.
Gannon said she’s not sure yet what she will do — but she will not reopen her restaurants unless she sees a future for them. She said Gannon’s in Wailea will remain closed until hotels reach 50 to 60 percent occupancy because nearly all of her customers there are seasonal tourists or hotel guests.
Even with her businesses closed, there still are bills to pay, such as insurance and liquor taxes.
To garner some cash flow, Haliimaile General Store currently is taking preorders for a Fourth of July BBQ meal kit, which includes citrus BBQ pork ribs, crispy fried chicken and other goodies.
Meal kit pickup will be Friday and Saturday only at the Haliimaile General Store, a Facebook post said.
Gannon also hopes residents will buy wine to help move her inventory.
The future remains uncertain and difficult. Gannon said that when her restaurants reopen it will be like going back 33 years to the opening of Haliimaile General Store — with worries about making enough money to pay the bills.
Back in Waikapu, Atherton said he was surprised by the attention the announcement of the indefinite closure received Tuesday.
“I was shocked, I had no idea,” he said. “But it’s been kind of sad for me to tell you the truth.”
As the Maui Tropical Plantation waits for visitors to return, Atherton says he is moving ahead with his Waikapu Country Town project. In the next six to eight months, he hopes to begin working on the project’s infrastructure.
For a while now, Atherton and Duane Ting of Flyin Hawaiian Zipline have been looking for another location for the zip line and tram attractions, which generate a lot of noise. Atherton envisions them being near the current site.
When tourists come back, they will revisit reopening The Mill House, Atherton said. The Plantation Store will transform into a general store to cater to the nearby community, as well as visitors.
The Plantation Store will hold a final summer sale next week, Tropical Plantation officials said.
* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.
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