North shore merchants recount busy night, claim ‘Paia is the new Lahaina’

Unlike merchants in Lahaina town, Paia businesses saw an upswing in Halloween revelers Saturday night, which translated to busy restaurants and better business.

"Last year was busy; this year it was busy all over town," said Sarah Reed, a supervisor and bartender at the Flatbread Co. in Paia town.

Although she wasn't working Saturday night, she was in costume and enjoyed Paia's celebration, while also noticing the crowds at restaurants.

"The streets were crowded and packed. There were more costumes and more people. More Halloween spirit," Reed said.

Another Paia merchant, Al Janneck, owner of Milagros Food Co., agreed.

"It was a busy, busy night. . . . Most people I've seen in Paia," he said.

Janneck attributed the uptick to Paia merchants, who, for a second year in a row, put on Halloween-themed events such as keiki costume contests and entertainment. He also brought his three young children to the events.

Janneck added that residents would probably rather drive to Paia than spend 45 minutes driving to Lahaina.

Once hailed as the "Mardi Gras of the Pacific," the number of Halloween revelers in Lahaina town has petered out since the Maui County Cultural Resources Commission denied permits for the LahainaTown Action Committee to sponsor Halloween events in the historic district in 2008.

Commission members said the party atmosphere and risque costumes appearing at the Halloween bash on Front Street were culturally insensitive in a location that once held the seat of Hawaiian monarchy.

Without a permit, the merchant association was unable to provide entertainment, hold its popular costume contest or provide space for vendor booths and portable toilets as it would if Front Street were closed to vehicle traffic.

Vladimir Porac, a manager at Cheeseburger in Paradise Maui on Front Street, said Sunday morning that business was down 10 to 15 percent on Saturday night.

He said it was "very slow" compared with last year's Halloween.

He assumed that since this was the second year Front Street wasn't closed down, people knew there wasn't going to be a large celebration and that it wasn't "going to be as much fun."

Usually Cheeseburger would be busy at 6 p.m. on Halloween, but business didn't pick up until 7:30 p.m., Porac said.

He also saw that people could walk right into Front Street restaurants and find a seat, unlike Halloweens in the past when there were lines to get in.

Porac said it wasn't money that concerned him but people's enjoyment as well as their safety, as he would rather have Front Street closed to protect pedestrians.

Over at the nearby Hard Rock Cafe, the restaurant was "pretty packed," said Steven Foster, the kitchen manager.

Foster said food and alcohol sales were good, but could have been better.

"We would have done a lot better if the streets were closed," he said.

For about a month, Foster said, his customers were wondering if Front Street would be closed for Halloween.

Perhaps the revelers traveled to Paia instead, as Flatbread Co. bartender Bodhi Beadle said their last customers left the restaurant at midnight, an hour after the place usually closes.

The restaurant had long stopped serving alcohol and cooking food, but it was so busy that people were just trying to finish up their meals, Beadle said.

He said crowds picked up beginning at 5 p.m. for the restaurant's keiki costume contest and then continued into the night with adults.

"To me it just seemed like double of what it was last year," he said of the crowds. "(Like) Paia is the new Lahaina or something."

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.