Wailua Shave Ice

Wailua Shave Ice is a Hawaiian dessert restaurant chain centered on shave ice made with fruit-forward syrups, coconut-based toppings, and combinations inspired by island flavors. The business was founded in 2015 by Cory Arashiro and Brandon Baptiste and is associated with co-owner Josh Tamaoka. It began on Kauaʻi as a food truck, described in coverage as a vivid red food wagon, before developing a more permanent retail presence. Its Kauaʻi operations have included both mobile service and a location at Kauai Village Shopping Center. The brand’s offering is built around finely shaved ice layered with syrups and toppings. Wailua states that its syrups are made with fruit juice and cane sugar, distinguishing the menu from shave ice concepts that rely primarily on conventional flavored syrups. Haupia foam, a whipped coconut-milk topping, is the brand’s signature finishing element, while lilikoʻi cream provides another topping option. Customers can also order desserts with a vanilla ice cream base. The menu extends beyond shave ice to include acai bowls, butter mochi, lemon peel gummies, and Li Hing lemon peel red vines. Named combinations provide much of the brand’s identity. Almond Joy combines coconut syrup, Nutella, and toasted coconut. Coconut x Coconut x Coconut, also known as Triple Coconut, layers coconut milk, haupia foam, and shredded coconut. Da Mango One uses mango juice, mango, and condensed milk. Dragons Blood combines dragon fruit, pineapple juice, organic honey, and pineapple pieces. Other combinations include Lava Flow, with coconut foam, pineapple juice, and strawberry purée; Love Potion #9, with vanilla bean syrup, strawberry purée, and strawberries; and Wailua Sunrise, which uses orange juice, pineapple juice, and pieces of orange and pineapple. Seasonal offerings have included cookies-and-cream and guava flavors. Wailua expanded beyond Kauaʻi during the late 2010s. The company announced plans in 2017 for its first brick-and-mortar shop at Kilauea Lighthouse Village. A San Diego location was subsequently added, and the Portland location opened in June 2017 at Union Way on West Burnside Street in downtown Portland, in a space previously occupied by Little T Baker. Before committing to a permanent Portland location, Wailua tested the market through a 2016 pop-up or temporary service at Lardo. The brand’s positioning combines Hawaiian culinary cues, colorful presentation, and casual destination-oriented food service. Its use of coconut, tropical fruit, condensed milk, fruit purées, and island-style garnishes gives the menu a recognizable Hawaiian profile, while visually distinctive combinations have helped the brand attract food-media and social-media attention. Publications including Tasting Table, Hawaii Magazine, KGW, and Eater have highlighted Wailua in discussions of notable shave ice and Hawaiian food destinations. Coverage has included Kauaʻi food guides, Portland dining coverage, and lists of refreshing or visually distinctive shave ice establishments. The available reference material identifies operations in Kauaʻi, San Diego, and Portland, but does not provide current store counts beyond those three locations, financial information, a corporate legal name, or an official website URL.

Wailua Shave Ice was established in 2015 by Cory Arashiro and Brandon Baptiste, with Josh Tamaoka identified as a co-owner. The business originated on Kauaʻi and initially operated from a food truck, also described by coverage as a vivid red food wagon. This mobile beginning placed the brand within Hawaii’s street-food and visitor-oriented dining culture while allowing it to serve its shave ice without an immediately permanent storefront. The company’s early identity was built around Hawaiian shave ice rather than generic frozen desserts. Its syrups are described as being made with fruit juice and cane sugar, and the menu emphasizes tropical ingredients and coconut-based finishes. Haupia foam, a whipped coconut-milk topping, became a signature component. The product range also developed through named combinations that pair fruit, coconut, condensed milk, chocolate-hazelnut spread, purées, and fresh fruit. These combinations gave the brand a more distinctive menu vocabulary than a simple list of syrup flavors. As the business developed, Wailua operated on Kauaʻi both through its food-truck format and at Kauai Village Shopping Center. In 2017, it announced plans to establish a first brick-and-mortar shop at Kilauea Lighthouse Village. The move represented a transition from a primarily mobile operation toward a mix of permanent and mobile retail activity, although the available reference material does not specify the precise opening date or subsequent operating status of that planned site. Wailua also pursued expansion outside Hawaii. Before opening a permanent Portland location, the business conducted a test run at Lardo in 2016. The Portland shop opened in June 2017 as the chain’s third reported location, occupying the Union Way space on West Burnside Street in downtown Portland that had previously been used by Little T Baker. A second mainland location was established in San Diego. Together with its Kauaʻi operations, these locations gave Wailua a presence in three U.S. markets: Kauaʻi, San Diego, and Portland. The Portland opening extended the brand’s Hawaiian dessert concept into an urban mainland setting. The menu retained the tropical and coconut-centered profile associated with Wailua while offering visually elaborate combinations suitable for casual dining and social sharing. Reported examples include Almond Joy, Triple Coconut, Da Mango One, Dragons Blood, Lava Flow, Love Potion #9, and Wailua Sunrise. Seasonal flavors have included cookies and cream and guava. The broader menu has also included acai bowls, butter mochi, lemon peel gummies, and Li Hing lemon peel red vines. Wailua received recurring editorial attention rather than controversy-driven coverage. In 2017, Tasting Table named it in an overview of Kauaʻi’s best shaved ice, while Hawaii Magazine included it in a guide to notable Kauaʻi street eats, pop-ups, and food trucks. Hawaii Magazine later included the business in lists of five leading shaved ice stands on Kauaʻi in 2019 and 2024. KGW described the Portland operation in 2019 as a particularly Instagrammable way to cool off, reflecting the importance of presentation to the brand’s public image. Eater subsequently included Wailua in a 2021 list of refreshing Hawaiian shave ice establishments. The supplied reference material does not establish a corporate parent, legal entity, financial results, public listing, current executive structure, or a definitive current store count beyond the three locations described. It also does not document scandals, lawsuits, recalls, acquisitions, or major leadership changes.

• 2017

  Brick-and-mortar expansion announced

  [1]Wailua Shave Iceen.wikipedia.org

  Wailua announced plans for a first permanent shop at Kilauea Lighthouse Village.

• 2017

  Portland location opens

  [1]Wailua Shave Iceen.wikipedia.org

  The Portland location opened in June at Union Way on West Burnside Street.

• 2016

  Portland market test

  [1]Wailua Shave Iceen.wikipedia.org

  Before opening a permanent Portland shop, Wailua conducted a test run at Lardo.

• 2015

  Business founded on Kauaʻi

  [1]Wailua Shave Iceen.wikipedia.org

  Cory Arashiro and Brandon Baptiste co-founded Wailua Shave Ice, which began as a Kauaʻi-based food-truck operation.

Hawaiian-style shave ice with fruit-based syrups, coconut-forward toppings, colorful signature combinations, and a casual island-dessert identity.

• Frozen dessert · 2015

  Hawaiian shave ice

  Wailua’s core product is finely shaved ice served with flavored syrups and optional toppings. The brand describes its syrups as being made with fruit juice and cane sugar, and its menu emphasizes tropical fruit, coconut, and other island-associated ingredients. Desserts may also be served over a vanilla ice cream base.

• Topping

  Haupia foam

  Haupia foam is Wailua’s signature topping. It is described as whipped coconut milk and gives the shaved ice a creamy, coconut-forward finish associated with Hawaiian dessert flavors.

• Menu series

  Signature shave ice combinations

  The menu includes named combinations such as Almond Joy, Triple Coconut, Da Mango One, Dragons Blood, Lava Flow, Love Potion #9, and Wailua Sunrise. Ingredients range from mango, pineapple, dragon fruit, strawberry, and citrus to coconut milk, condensed milk, Nutella, honey, and fresh fruit toppings.

• Prepared food

  Acai bowls

  Acai bowls are part of Wailua’s broader menu alongside its frozen shaved ice desserts, extending the offering into fruit-based casual food.

• Snack and dessert

  Butter mochi and packaged sweets

  Additional menu items include butter mochi, lemon peel gummies, and Li Hing lemon peel red vines. These products complement the shave ice range with Hawaii-associated sweet and sour snack flavors.

• 2017

  Move from mobile service toward permanent retailStrategy

  Background

  After operating as a food truck and serving customers at Kauaʻi locations, Wailua pursued a more permanent storefront model.

  Action taken

  The business announced plans for a shop at Kilauea Lighthouse Village.

  Aftermath

  The available sources do not establish the precise opening date or later status of that planned shop.

  Source

• 2017

  Expand to mainland U.S. marketsStrategy

  Background

  Wailua sought to take its Hawaiian shave ice concept beyond Kauaʻi.

  Action taken

  The company opened or operated locations in San Diego and Portland, with the Portland shop becoming the third reported location.

  Aftermath

  The brand established operations across Kauaʻi, San Diego, and Portland.

  Source

• 2016

  Test Portland demand before permanent expansionStrategy

  Background

  Wailua had begun on Kauaʻi as a mobile food business and sought to assess the Portland market before establishing a fixed location.

  Action taken

  The business conducted a test run at Lardo in Portland.

  Aftermath

  A permanent Portland location opened in June 2017 at Union Way.

  Source

1. 1Wailua Shave Iceen.wikipedia.org