Uncle Clays

Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha (HOPA) was a Hawaii-based shave ice brand and small business rooted in the community of ʻĀina Haina on the island of Oahu. Its story began with Clayton "Uncle Clay" Chang, who as a young boy declared he would one day own the local crack seed and candy shop called Doe Fang. He fulfilled that dream and from 1996 ran the humble shop seven days a week, becoming a beloved neighborhood figure while serving sweet treats and spreading what he called "Pure Aloha." Despite his dedication, the small business struggled under rising rents and shifting economic conditions. When it seemed Uncle Clay would be forced to close, his nephew Bronson stepped in with a renewed vision. Together they reimagined the business as Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha, shifting the medium of Uncle Clay's mission to all-natural, homemade, handcrafted shave ice. Rallying family, friends, and loyal patrons, they launched HOPA as a gathering place where guests were treated like family. The shop became known for its delicious shave ice and for the warmth of its hospitality, encapsulated in the motto of cultivating Pure Aloha one person, relationship, family, and community at a time. HOPA operated as a small, independent business rather than a large chain, and its identity was closely tied to its founder's personal story and the "One World 'Ohana" vision of connecting people across communities. In its later years the brand faced the challenges common to small local businesses in Hawaii, and the official website documents the emotional closure of the beloved shop. Rather than ending the story, the closure was framed as the beginning of a next chapter: "Pure Aloha Continues." The brand's legacy is being preserved through community storytelling projects, including a planned "One World 'Ohana" book collecting messages of gratitude, hope, and love from keiki to kupuna, supported by donations and pre-sale orders. Uncle Clays thus represents a distinctly local, community-centered food brand whose value extended beyond its product to the relationships and spirit it fostered.

The story of Uncle Clays begins with a childhood dream. As a five-year-old, Clayton declared "One day... I will own this shop" while looking up at the owner of a local crack seed and candy shop called Doe Fang, nestled in the quiet lush valley of ʻĀina Haina, Oahu. The shop owner could see fixed determination in the boy's eyes and feel an immense loving spirit spilling from his little body. Clayton grew up to become "Uncle Clay," and he made good on his dream by taking all he had and throwing himself into running Doe Fang. From 1996, Uncle Clay became a beloved figure of the community, serving his sweet treats seven days a week and spreading Pure Aloha with everyone he met. Yet the small business struggled, and Uncle Clay never wavered in his spirit or his love for every guest, neighbor, and friend. Eventually, rising rents and shifting economic conditions drained all of the earthly resources Uncle Clay had. Just when it seemed there was no choice and he was being forced to close the doors to his dreams, his nephew Bronson stepped in with the same love and spirit of his uncle. Armed with a renewed vision and plan, Uncle Clay's mission to bring the entire One World 'Ohana took a new medium: all-natural, homemade, and handcrafted shave ice. Rallying family, friends, and patrons, Uncle Clay and Bronson launched the reimagined vision: Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha, or "HOPA." Together with the rest of "Team HOPA," they shared, connected, laughed, cried, and wove together the hearts of every soul that entered their house, all while delivering delicious shave ice. The official history notes that in 2018 HOPA opened (the sentence is truncated in the source). HOPA operated as a small, independent, community-focused business. Its mission was "To Cultivate Pure Aloha One Person, Relationship, Family, and Community at a Time." The shop became a gathering place where guests were treated as part of a "One World 'Ohana" (family). The brand's identity was inseparable from Uncle Clay's personal story and the values of gratitude, hope, and love. In its later years, the business faced the pressures common to small local shops in Hawaii. The official website documents the emotional closure of Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha, recounting the moving experience with the community going through the closure of the beloved small business and House. Rather than marking an end, the closure is framed as the beginning of the next chapter of HOPA: "Pure Aloha Continues." The brand's legacy is being carried forward through community storytelling and a planned "One World 'Ohana" book project, which invites people from keiki to kupuna to share messages of gratitude, hope, and love to preserve and promote the legacy of UCHOPA. The project seeks donations to cover development and production costs, with a total donation wish of $8,000 and a target completion in Fall 2025, and offers a copy of the book for donations over $50. Pre-sale orders are also planned at a Closing Community Celebration. Through these efforts, Uncle Clays continues as a symbol of Pure Aloha beyond the physical shop.

• 2025

  Planned completion (Fall 2025) of the "One World 'Ohana" book project preserving the legacy of UCHOPA.

• 2018

  Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha (HOPA) opens, reimagined as an all-natural, homemade, handcrafted shave ice shop.

• 1996

  Uncle Clay begins running the Doe Fang crack seed and candy shop in ʻĀina Haina, Oahu, serving sweet treats seven days a week.

A community-centered, family-run shave ice shop built around the philosophy of "Pure Aloha," offering all-natural, homemade, handcrafted treats in a welcoming, relationship-focused setting.

• All-natural homemade handcrafted shave ice

  The flagship offering of HOPA, made with natural ingredients and handcrafted preparation.

• Crack seed and candy

  Sweet treats sold at the predecessor Doe Fang shop run by Uncle Clay from 1996.

1. 1Pure Aloha Foreveruncleclays.com
2. 2Our Story — Pure Aloha Foreveruncleclays.com
3. 3One World Ohana Book — Pure Aloha Foreveruncleclays.com