HILO — Nearly nine months have passed since a fire destroyed Pahoa’s iconic Akebono Theatre and Luquin’s Mexican Restaurant in January.
In two years, however, Pahoa might have three Luquin’s locations, said restaurant owner Salvador Luquin.
Luquin has managed Luquin’s Mexican Food Truck in the place of his former restaurant since March. At the same time, he has worked with a local construction company to build a new Luquin’s restaurant on Kahakai Boulevard in Pahoa.
“It’s coming along,” Luquin said. “I’d say we’re about three-quarters done.”
Amedeo Markoff of R.K. Builders suggested the building is actually “seven-eighths” done. Most of the restaurant’s interior work has been completed, all using local woods from eucalyptus, ohia and mango trees.
Co-owner Kirstin Heid said she hopes the new restaurant will have its grand opening before the holiday season. When the interior work is completed, all that remains to be done will be some paperwork and finalizing the menu.
“We’re hoping to try a few new ideas with the menu,” Heid said, declining to go into detail. “But all of the old favorites will still be there.”
Rather than close the food truck upon completion of the new restaurant, Luquin said he will keep both locations open while working on plans to rebuild the original restaurant and the Akebono Theatre.
Luquin said he has no concrete plan for rebuilding the old property — the new location is occupying most of his time for now. Once the new property is established, though, he said he intends to restore the iconic locations to their former glory.
Heid said rebuilding will be a lengthy process, but said they should have a “solid plan” by the middle of 2018. Heid specified that rebuilding the Akebono will take priority over rebuilding the old Luquin’s.
Until Jan. 15 of this year, the Akebono was one of the oldest theaters in the state, hosting events from live music to high school proms. The building would have turned 100 years old in December had it not been destroyed in a blaze thought to have been caused by an overturned lantern.
“We’ve had an amazing outpouring of support after the fire,” Heid said. A GoFundMe page raised nearly $5,000 toward rebuilding the theater and restaurant from local donors.
Heid and Luquin said they would work to rehire former Luquin’s employees for the restaurant’s new locations.
While Luquin said he would like to keep three locations open in Pahoa, he noted that one might leave sooner rather than later.
“We have a five-year lease here,” Luquin said of the new location. “If we can keep this place, I would like to, though.”
Independent of the other locations, the food truck is popular enough to remain, Heid said.
“We’re just excited about the new place, though,” Heid said. “We want to get the margaritas flowing.”
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.