HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A group of Hawaii students are heading to New York City to get into a big argument — and if they win, they’ll take home $10,000.

The Damien Memorial Debate team is heading to the International Public Policy Forum Debate Contest Finals.

Starting May 4, Damien and seven other teams will go head to head discussing whether “governments should provide universal basic income.”

To qualify Damien won a written debate competition exchanging essays with others school.

The finals will be oral and in person.

To watch the livestream, click here.

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What does Hellertown have in common with Hawaii? If you ask Jay Losagio, after May 4 the obvious answer will hopefully be donuts, or more properly, malasadas.

Losagio is the owner of Aloha Jay’s Malasadas; a new donut shop specializing in the fried-dough delicacy native to Portugal, which thanks to cross-cultural influence has become a beloved culinary staple of the 50th state.

Under development for several years, the concept for Aloha Jay’s was inspired by Losagio’s many trips to the Hawaiian islands, some of which were with his late father, who encouraged him to bring the concept to life back home.

Losagio said his dad was a partner in several well-known Saucon Valley businesses in the 1980s, and the fact that he is now carrying on the family legacy with Aloha Jay’s and the Rita’s Italian Ice franchise he owns next door seems “serendipitous.”

@aloha.jays.malasadas #LehighValley – are you ready? Aloha Jay’s will be opening on Saturday, May 4th at 8am. Whose stopping by for freshly made Hawaiian donut Malasadas and to get Lei’d 🌺 #malasadas #hellertown #bethlehempa #eastonpa #donutshop #donuts #aloha ♬ Love You So – The King Khan & BBQ Show

Interest in Aloha Jay’s opening has been strong since plans were first publicly announced in January, and Losagio said several dozen overeager donut-seekers per day have been coming to his front door, hoping that the store will be open. One woman who said she grew up eating Portuguese malasadas recently drove to Hellertown from Lopatcong Township, N.J., he said, only to discover that the fryers that will soon be operating at full-tilt were still in the process of being tested. Not wanting to disappoint her, Losagio invited her to come back for a sample later that day.

In a video he recorded of her reaction as she bit into a fresh, hot malasada, the woman raved about its authentic taste, clearly delighted that someone will soon be selling malasadas locally.

What is a malasada exactly, and what makes it different from the donuts most Pennsylvanians know and love?

Like other types of donuts, malasadas are generally coated, filled or topped with granulated sugar, icing, sprinkles, custard and/or other sweet additions. There are some differences, however.

A snow cap cream-filled malasada coated with sugar. The snow cap cream filling is a white vanilla cream with a hint of maple. (Credit: Aloha Jay’s Malasadas)

According to the Aloha Jay’s website’s About Us page, “the malasada is airy, light, aromatic, with a moist center inside. Unlike your typical donut, a malasada has no hole, is made with more egg and milk, and has a nice light crisp on the outside.”

The Aloha Jay’s menu will initially feature the following types of malasada: coconut cream; ube, which is filled with purple yam-flavored custard; raspberry-filled; snow cap cream-filled; custard-filled; sugar-coated; cinnamon and sugar-coated; and plain, which won’t have any added sugar.

To wash down their donuts, customers will be able to choose drinks from a beverage menu that includes hot chocolate made with 100 percent cocoa, iced coffee, hot coffee and Aloha Jay’s punch; a red tropical fruit punch with a slightly tangy finish. The coffee selections will include Hawaiian coffee made with a 10 percent Kona bean blend and 100 percent Kona hot coffee, which Losagio said will have a slightly higher price point–$3.89 per 12 ounce cup–due to the high cost of the prized Kona coffee bean, which can retail for around $75 a pound.

Donut and drink sales will officially begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 4, which is when the store in a newly-renovated space at the front of 1120 Main Street–home of Rocco’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant–will open for business.

Losagio said that Aloha Jay’s first couple of weeks will be a soft opening, with a more limited selection of malasadas available. He said this will help his staff meet customer demand as they introduce them to something that is completely new for the area.

“This is all new to us, too,” he pointed out.

A grand opening and expansion of the malasada lineup to 14 varieties (all of which are pictured and described on the Aloha Jay’s website), along with the launch of an Aloha Jay’s app, will follow later in May. Among the varieties of malasada to look forward to in the future are Lava Cake, with a chocolate lava-like filling; The Sticky, which will be topped with cinnamon bun icing blended with snow cap cream; and the S’mores. Losagio said he hopes to eventually offer a Hawaiian-style breakfast sandwich as part of the menu, which will also feature seasonal malasadas that will be available for a limited time. Those flavors will be in addition to the core menu, and won’t replace what is going to be available on day one.

One of the more exotic malasadas on the Aloha Jay’s menu is the ube, which is filled with a sweet custard made with purple yam; a root vegetable that is a traditional part of the Hawaiian diet. (Credit: Aloha Jay’s Malasadas)

“The custard will always stay. The ube is always going to stay. We’ll have staples, but we’ll (also) have flavors that we’ll do every week,” he said.

And while Aloha Jay’s donuts will be priced a bit higher than some people may be used to paying, Losagio said the quality ingredients used to make them along with their size account for the difference.

“Everything was crafted with attention to detail,” he emphasized. “I want people to have an experience. Have some coffee outside. Enjoy the music. Enjoy the malasadas.”

In the Hawaiian tradition of mahalo–an expression meaning ‘gratitude’ that is painted above a doorway inside Aloha Jay’s–there will be leis handed out to customers to help get them in the “Aloha spirit,” which Losagio said is one that is welcoming, warm and spiritual.

“I want people to really enjoy coming here for something different,” he said.

Aloha Jay’s hours to start will be Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There will be seating available outside under a canopy that was constructed as part of the Aloha Jay’s renovations, which was designed with the same Hawaiian flair that characterizes the interior. In addition to colorful lighting, artificial palm trees and tiki-torch style lanterns help give the outdoor setting a uniquely island vibe. Parking is available in the lot between Rocco’s and Rita’s, and on the street.

For more information, as well as updates, visit AlohaJays.com and follow Aloha Jay’s on TikTok (aloha.jays.malasadas), Facebook and Instagram (@alohajaysmalasadas).

The color scheme and palm trees may be reminiscient of Miami Vice, but that’s where any similarity between Aloha Jay’s and the 1980s ends. Owner Jay Losagio has invested in state-of-the-art technology for his store, which features a touchscreen order kiosk, flatscreen menu displays and other tech. Located at 1120 Main Street, Unit A, in front of Rocco’s Pizzeria in Hellertown, Aloha Jay’s will open to the public on Saturday, May 4 at 8 a.m.

Aloha Jay’s has outdoor seating under a canopy with a view of palm trees that light up green at night. Hawaiian music will also contribute to the welcoming island vibe, owner Jay Losagio said. (Credit: Aloha Jay’s Malasadas)

Aloha Jay’s Malasadas is located in an addition in front of Rocco’s Pizzeria at 1120 Main Street, Hellertown. It is adjacent to a Rita’s Italian Ice franchise namesake Jay Losagio also owns.

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After poking around, I decided to book accommodations using points I had accumulated from my Capital One Venture X credit card. Booking the room was less expensive than I expected, and the process was pretty straightforward.

I booked my hotel entirely with rewards

Looking at hotel rooms in downtown Honolulu, I stumbled upon a boutique hotel a few blocks from Waikiki Beach. The total cost for three nights, including taxes and hotel fees, came out to just under $600 — not including a $100 hotel fee.

While the app allows you to partially pay for a hotel, flight, or rental card with points and the remainder using your card, I decided to book my three-night stay entirely with my travel rewards — roughly 59,000 points.

I have two Capital One cards, the Venture X and the VentureOne, and could use a combination of points from either card. I was tapped out of points on my VentureOne card, so I redeemed points from my Venture X card for the hotel room. My Venture X card had an annual credit, but I had used it on a trip to Yellowstone earlier in the year.

I saved money from hotel perks

The boutique hotel I stayed at offered several perks that I scooped up, which helped me save on my trip: free yoga mats, which came in handy during sunset yoga sessions, and free admission to several art museums on the island.

I enjoyed perusing the natural and cultural artifacts at the Bishop Museum and skipping the $34 adult entrance fee. As an added bonus, I received a complimentary tray of local snacks, such as chocolate macadamia nuts and Maui-style potato chips, which I brought home with me to give as souvenirs.

The hotel room was the only thing I spent some of my points on, as I’m hoping to save up as many points as possible for a longer international trip in the near future. I used my Venture X card to book the flights, earning me 5x miles. If I had used my card to book the hotel or car rental (we used a combination of Lyft, public transportation, and Hui, Hawaii’s car share service, on the trip), I would’ve earned 10x miles.

I used my credit card for all other purchases during my time in Hawaii, including food, sightseeing, and shopping. Putting most of my trip expenses on my credit card netted me 2x miles, and I paid off my balance in full in the next billing cycle.

Last-minute changes happen. But instead of paying a lot more for a last-minute hotel room, I was able to use miles from my card to cover the additional cost of accommodations during my Hawaii vacation.