Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort has opened Hinahina on the Beach, a new all-day oceanfront restaurant that replaces the former Kai Market and The Edge of Waikiki Bar, merging two separate beachfront spaces into a single dining destination overlooking Gray's Beach. The opening also marks the return of both breakfast and dinner buffets at the resort — a format that had been absent for more than six years.
The property is part of Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort, one of Waikiki's largest hotel operations, and the concept shift signals a broader pivot in how full-service resort restaurants are approaching all-day programming. Consolidating two venues reduces operational complexity while raising the ceiling on group capacity — a calculus increasingly familiar to food and beverage directors navigating post-pandemic staffing pressures alongside renewed demand for experiential resort dining.
Culinary Program
Executive Chef Darren Demaya leads the kitchen, having been promoted from executive sous chef at the property. Born and raised on Hawaii Island, Demaya began his career as a dishwasher in Hilo before training under Alan Wong's Restaurant in Honolulu and accumulating more than 18 years at Sheraton Waikiki. His menu takes a coastally inspired approach: the breakfast buffet features Pineapple Upside-Down Pancakes, eggs benedict, fried rice, an omelet station, and rotating salads; lunch centers on build-your-own poke bowls with local-caught ahi or wild-caught Atlantic salmon, a wagyu beef burger, Loco Moco, and fish tacos. Dinner — available à la carte with reservations — highlights shareable plates such as Giant Tiger Shrimp with Red Thai Lobster Curry Sauce, plus desserts like Auntie Karen's Strawberry Jello Cheesecake Pie.
Group & Event Capacity
For hospitality operators and event planners, Hinahina's footprint is notable. The restaurant includes a private dining room called the Shapers Room, accommodating up to 40 guests with Waikiki Beach views, alongside semi-private and full-restaurant buyout options for groups ranging from 25 to 250. Large tables and flexible seating configurations make it a viable venue for incentive groups and corporate F&B programs — an important revenue channel for resort properties competing in Hawaii's meetings market.
The Hinahina name draws from both the history of Gray's Beach — site of an early 1900s boarding house called Gray's by the Sea — and the Hawaiian word for "gray," which also describes native shoreline plants with silver-toned foliage. General Manager Tetsuji Yamazaki framed the opening as "an exciting new culinary chapter" shaped by the surfing and beachboy culture of the area.
Hinahina is open daily, with the breakfast buffet running 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. The move reflects a wider trend in resort food and beverage strategy toward consolidating underperforming standalone outlets into higher-throughput, experiential concepts — a pattern our restaurant concept coverage has tracked across major hotel brands in recent years.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
