Route 99 Hawaii’s 40-foot shipping container, outfitted as a retail store, opened its rolling doors at the Kahuku Sugar Mill in 2021, and is one of the first of its kind on O’ahu.
As an extension of the lean and green movements, the repurposing of shipping containers is growing rapidly on the mainland. That’s how the idea to acquire a shipping container as a store – as opposed to brick and mortar — was born.
“One of the deciding factors in looking at a shipping container for retail space had to do with overhead and cost,” said Washington Teixeira, co-founder. The cost of commercial space is so expensive in Hawaii in terms of locals … we thought our brand would work (in a container). Our brand mission is to share aloha worldwide.
This pay-it-forward attitude is reflected in our brand partnerships displayed in the store, with a percentage of store proceeds going to AccesSurf, which provides ocean access for anyone with a disability; Friends of Sunset Beach, a nonprofit dedicated to keeping art education alive on the North Shore of O`ahu; and Kahuku School’s Scholarship Program.
KAHUKU CONTAINER STORE 56-505 Kamehameha Hwy Kahuku, HI 96731, United States
Route 99 Hawaii’s second location opened in 2023 in the Historic Hale’iwa Town, next to some locally owned eateries such as Poke for the People and Surf n Salsa.
The mission of Route 99 Hawaii is to share aloha worldwide: All of the Be Kind and Acts of Aloha merchandise — which includes baseball caps, bucket hats, tshirts, and keiki (kids) items — give a portion of its proceeds to the Hawaii Food Bank.
HALEI´WA STORE Kamehameha Hwy 66-528 Unit Haleiwa, HI 96712, United States
The mission of Route 99 Hawaii is to share aloha worldwide: All of the Be Kind and Acts of Aloha merchandise — which includes baseball caps, bucket hats, tshirts, and keiki (kids) items — give a portion of its proceeds to the Hawaii Food Bank.
