History

ABOUT SUEOKA MARKET

Sueoka Market has operated in the Kauai community for more than 100 years, starting with Mankichi and Yoshi Sueoka’s establishment in 1918 of a small store in the Koloa Japanese plantation camp.

The camp store was in a convenient location for many of the sugar plantation field laborers. Because they would have to pass the store on their way home from the fields, they would stop by to purchase food and supplies. Besides serving the Koloa camp community, Mankichi Sueoka took orders from people as far away as Lihue and Kealia. He even made home deliveries to them on his horse-drawn wagon.

In 1933, Sueoka Market moved to its present location in what is considered the heart of Koloa town. The store was located in a building that originally housed the Kauai Motors car showroom, and later the Bishop Bank (First Hawaiian Bank) and Mitsunami Store.

Mankichi Sueoka leased the Mitsunami half of the building from Dr. Alfred H. Waterhouse, and later was able to lease the whole building when Bishop Bank moved out.

Eventually he purchased the property and renovated and modernized the building. In this location, Sueoka Market evolved from a general merchandise store selling tools, dry goods, mercantile goods, and more to a grocery store with fresh produce, a meat/seafood department, and a Snack Shop selling plate lunches and hamburgers.

After three successful generations in operation, the business changed hands to another respected family business based on Oahu: ABC Stores, which has its roots in the 1930s as a grocery store founded by the Kosasa family in Kaimuki.

Today, ABC Stores President Paul Kosasa continues the tradition of a family business providing friendly, personal service with good products at reasonable prices. While some aspects of the business have been modernized, the focus was to “keep it Kauai” and retain all who wanted to stay on.

ABC Stores is proud to uphold the legacy of this historic cornerstone of the Kauai community, and we look forward to serving you another hundred years and more.