Feeding Maui County: The impact of a pandemic on Maui's restaurants, farms, and food banks

When Hawaiian food restaurant Poi by the Pound announced that it would be closing its doors in September, Maui residents felt a deep loss for the restaurant they'd known and loved for over seven years. But no one mourned the restaurant more than Clarence Johnson "CJ" Ho'okano — the man who built Poi by the Pound from scratch with the help of his family.

The impact of the pandemic doesn't stop with closing restaurants like CJ's — it goes on to hit multiple parts of Maui's food industry. What happens to restauranteurs like CJ and their families? What happens to farmers like Hokuao Pellegrino that relied on restaurant and hotel clients for income? And if farmers and restaurants are struggling to survive, who is left to feed Maui, when many can't afford to buy food?

Feeding Maui County seeks to understand the interconnectedness of Maui's restaurants, farms, and food banks during the pandemic and how they've grappled with the fallout that has lasted several months since the statewide lockdown in March.