PEARL CITY (HawaiiNewsNow) – A group of robbery suspects is on the loose Friday after an 18-year-old was attacked Thursday night in Pearl City.

Honolulu police said it happened at about 7 p.m.

Police say three men assaulted the teen and demanded his personal property.

One of the suspects allegedly had a gun. All three suspects fled the area on foot with the victim’s personal property.

No other information about the robbers has been made available.

Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The hum of downtown Honolulu will soon get a taste of Seoul.

CU, one of South Korea’s largest convenience store chains, is opening its first United States location in Hawaiʻi to mark a new era for local shoppers and food lovers alike.

The store at 1088 Bishop Street, inside the Executive Centre, will open next week, with its grand opening and blessing ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 12 at noon.

“Downtown Honolulu is the perfect place for us to open our first CU Hawaii,” said Robert
Kurisu, CEO of CU Hawaii LLC. “The store will offer fresh grab-and-go food, customizable
beverages, a wide range of popular instant ramen, and many other unique Korean and
local products for people working, living and visiting downtown.”

A new kind of convenience

Gina Haverly, president of CU Hawaiʻi, called the Nov. 6 soft launch “a special day for some of our special vendors and friends and family.”

For Haverly, this opening marks a moment of pride and progress. It’s not only about a new store but about making history in the islands.

“We’re gearing up to open our first CU store, not just in Hawaiʻi, but in the United States,” Haverly said.

CU’s reach in Asia is staggering, with more than 18,000 stores in South Korea and 680 more in Mongolia, Malaysia and Kazakhstan. The Honolulu store will be the first step in expanding across Oʻahu and beyond.

After years of planning, CU Hawaiʻi’s debut in downtown Honolulu is only the beginning. Haverly said the company’s vision reaches far beyond Bishop Street.

“We are looking to open so many stores starting on the island of Oʻahu, potentially throughout the while,” she said.

Authentic flavors meet local taste

Haverly explained that CU’s food program aims to stay true to its Korean roots while still honoring Hawaiʻi’s diverse tastes. She said the store’s mission is to deliver real Korean flavors to the islands without compromise.

“We haven’t adjusted the recipes to the local palate,” she said. “What we’ve done instead for our local palate is we created a line called Ho‘ina.”

The Ho‘ina line, developed with local celebrity chef Sheldon Simeon, will feature dishes tailored for Hawaiʻi.

“He’s helped us create our local recipes,” Haverly said. “So, CU Korea authentic recipes for you to line up, me for the local palate.”

Alongside that menu will be CU’s signature Korean foods like gimbap, musubi, and bento, along with ramen and udon cooking stations where customers can heat and eat on site.

“We also have cookers in our store so you can cook your ramen and your tapioca and all of that here,” she said.

Community and opportunity

Haverly said the new Honolulu store is already creating local jobs, with about 20 employees hired and more positions to fill as CU expands across Oʻahu.

“We’re interviewing and hiring for store managers, assistant store managers, leads and sales,” she said. “So come see us. We have awesome benefits, too.”

To mark the grand opening, CU plans to thank its first customers with a little extra excitement and appreciation.

“On our grand opening day, we have these awesome swag bags that we’re giving out to the first 100 purchasers,” Haverly said.

As Hawaiʻi becomes CU’s fourth overseas market, the convenience store giant is bringing with it a modern design, Korean national brands and private-label items, along with local partnerships that celebrate the islands’ mix of flavors and people.

Haverly described the launch as a moment shaped by collaboration and gratitude as she reflected on the many hands that helped make CU Hawaiʻi a reality.

“We have our special vendors, partners who really helped us bring this together,” she said. “And we have obviously really great friends in the media coming to visit us today.”

The CU Hawaiʻi story begins in Honolulu next week, but for Haverly, the work of blending Korean innovation with Hawaiʻi spirit has only just begun.

Kurisu said CU Hawaiʻi’s menu reflects both the global appeal of Korean cuisine and the company’s commitment to authenticity.

“We know that Korean culture, trends and food are very popular,” he said. “We worked diligently to ensure we are offering the same great CU Korean fresh food and snacks with authentic Korean flavors.”

He added that the company also aims to celebrate Hawaiʻi’s local identity while introducing new flavors from across Asia.

“We also wanted to honor what is unique about our local culture and palates, which can be found in our own Ho‘ina brand foods,” Kurisu said. “And as we expand, we want to ensure that we are delighting our customers with unique local and Asia-inspired treats, foods and snacks, along with new items and recipes that will be added frequently.”

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Former Miss China turned stand-up comedian Jiaoying Summers is on her way to Hawaii to perform two shows at the Blue Note Hawaii.

The shows are part of her international tour ‘Jiaoying: What Specie Are You?,’ which took her across Asia and Australia.

Tickets to her Blue Note shows are available for purchase here.

Summers is best known for her dark humor and deprecating jokes about herself and her family.

The comedian said performing is therapeutic, reflecting on her upbringing in China during the one-child policy era.

She also lives with bipolar disorder.

According to Summers, it took years to build the confidence to switch from acting to comedy.

“I struggled with trying to be likable, but I realized I’m not likable,” said Summers. “I just have to be honest, raw and specific about what affects me, and that made me find my voice, not to try to please anyone.

“The ‘stage high’ helps me feel better about myself,” she added. “I let all of the things I’m ashamed of out.”

Summers said one of her motivations for performing is providing a voice for others.

“I want my voice to be so big that I would be able to speak for people who have no voice,” she said. “Empowerment is a big thing for me.”

In 2023, Summers became the first Chinese comedian to headline and sell out the iconic Apollo Theatre in New York.

Her performances regularly go viral, garnering more than 1 billion views and over 4 million followers.

Summers credits her success to blending her finance background with her artistic endeavors.

“Whenever someone books me in a club, I exhaust every resource to make sure it’s a sold-out show for a good performance,” Summers said. “I just want to make whoever books me money.”

Summers said she also wants to help other comedians become successful.

“I have so many tips I could give to comedians who want to see how to get their numbers up on social media, promote a show, and have good relationships at a club because those are business skills as artists,” she said.

Summers is also set to debut her one-hour comedy special on Hulu on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Her performances at the Blue Note are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5, at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Summers’ second special may be on its way after filming began last month in Seattle.

“That’s my origin story. I’ll talk about my life, all the funny, all the battles I won, and all the times I failed and got back up,” she said.

Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.