OC, Support your local Tiki Establishment

Published: Feb. 3, 2010
Updated: Feb. 4, 2010 12:21 a.m.
Goodbye frozen yogurt, hello Hawaii
By BRITTANY LEVINE
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERStory Highlights

Hulaville, a new restaurant featuring island-inspired food, will replace Frugurt, a food and yogurt shop that is shutting down.

After more than a decade in Hawaii, Jean Navarra, a tourism marketer, left because of the islands' struggling economy.

But she hasn't given up her Hawaii dreams just because she moved to Orange County. She plans to open Hulaville Island Cafe & Company Store at 2720 Camino Capistrano in San Clemente by March 1.

The restaurant, which Navarra describes as over the top, will feature tiki huts and other island decor. It's more about Polynesian pop culture than sticking to a traditional Hawaiian look.

"It's about the fantasy of Hawaii," Navarra said.

She plans to serve specialty pizzas such as kalua pork and garlic shrimp. There also will be Hawaiian beer and homemade pies, including lilikoi cream pie and chocolate haupia pie. Haupia is a type of coconut pudding; lilikoi is a form of passion fruit.

Hulaville also will sell Hawaiian food products such as honey and macadamia nuts shipped straight from the islands. It will steer toward a casual, family crowd, Navarra said.

"San Clemente was the closest I could get to Hawaii without actually being there," she said.

Navarra is taking over the spot once occupied by Frugurt, a food and frozen-yogurt establishment that opened in 2008.

Jackie Nazarian, Frugurt's owner, said the business wasn't making enough money, so she decided to shut down. She flirted with the idea of later hours and selling liquor to better fill the cash register but opted to get out instead.

Nazarian also owns Ma Jolie Salon in the same shopping center as Frugurt. She said the restaurant was always secondary to her salon, which will stay open.

The official switch of the property from Frugurt to Hulaville is Feb. 14. For more information, call 949-498-8949.

Wow - the OC Register said "Polynesian Pop"! Impressive!

[ Edited by: dewey-surf 2010-07-14 19:49 ]

Tikiyaki Likes this.
...oops...wrong site.

On 2010-02-04 15:25, dewey-surf wrote:

Sounds like just a watered down version of the original Hulaville Island Cafe & Company Store, without their signature Mai Tai's. You will not catch me dead in ther.........ooops wrong thread.

WOW! Thanks for the awesome post! You rule!

[ Edited by: dewey-surf 2010-07-14 19:50 ]

Holden was just telling Jane and me about this place at the Clown Show last weekend. Sounds great, and I can't wait to try it! Thanks for posting, Davey.

Lets all take a moment away from the excitement and remember that a place called Frugurt had to die so that Hulaville could live.

On 2010-02-05 21:46, SuperEight wrote:
Lets all take a moment away from the excitement and remember that a place called Frugurt had to die so that Hulaville could live.

I will be raising a small strawberry yogurt with oreo cookie crumbs in honor of the demise of Frugurt

It's not Giant! But... It's what it IS in these times...!!

more pics soon.

REAl Hawaiian FooD from Hawaii Too! yum.

Boo - Any chance you know an opening date for da place?

They're open! I popped by yesterday to check it out (had to run, couldn't stay but it looked pretty cool) and am heading over in about 20 minutes to grab some lunch & place some Farm product on the shelves. I'll let you know how it goes!

WoooHooo! 2 Thumbs Up!! Hulaville is a Must Stop for All. The food was excellent.

That place looks so cute! Kinda cartoonish, but the atmosphere appears decent. I'll stop in when in the area...

Here is my full review of Hulaville:

IT'S AWESOME. SO GO!

Looks great. I'll have to check it out. Support your local tiki establishment !!!

Aloha!
I just wanted to thank everyone who made such nice comments about Hulaville, and those who helped me get it up and running. So... many thanks to Dave & Kim & Karen & Chris for their overwhelming enthusiasm! And many thanks also to Bamboo Ben for his fine craftmanship, Mike from Picture Show Gallery for quality framing of the artwork on the walls, Jason from Smokin' Tikis for hooking me up with so many cool pieces and Holden from Tiki Farm who was a constant font of wisdom & inspiration and whose mugs are the centerpiece of the gift shop! And thanks to everyone else who has come in and told me how much they like the food. I can't remember everyone's name, but I suspect more than a few of those folks will be reading this!
My website is not quite done yet, but if anyone would like to see pictures there are some on facebook - hulavillecafe.
Mahalo

Any place that sells Kauai Kookies needs no other justification to exist.