The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For more information, visit HawaiianTaffyShack.com.
BY CAROLYN LUCAS-ZENK
WEST HAWAII TODAY
clucas-zenk@westhawaiitoday.com
Mele’s Hawaiian Taffy Shack in Kailua-Kona is one of those places where you feel like the proverbial kid in a candy store.
Helping to bring out customers’ inner sweet tooth are co-owners Lisa Ellis and Melita Herrera, who passionately talk about and generously serve Hawaii-made delectables at their new shop.
Within minutes, indecision becomes evident when faced with deciding between more than 20 salt water taffy flavors, such as lilikoi, mango, li hing mui, Kona coffee and rootbeer. Then add more than 20 flavors of chocolate, two types of caramel corn and three kinds of brittle.
Ellis’ weakness is the Kona coffee brew brittle with macadamia nuts, one of her creations that she says she can’t stay away from. Instead of using water as the base, brewed coffee is used, she said.
Also offered are a wide range of nuts, spices, honey, coffee and Kona cherry tea. Most of the shop’s products are made by local husband and wife teams.
Mele’s Hawaiian Taffy Shack opened Dec. 2 in the Kona Market Place on Alli Drive.
Taffy is sold here for $4.24 for a quarter of a pound (about 14 pieces) and $8.42 for a half of a pound (about 28 pieces). Chocolate costs $6.95 to $12.95. Coffee from Kona, Ka’u and Hamakua ranges from $15.95 to $36.95. A 10 percent discount is given to kamaaina.
Ellis and Herrera met through a mutual friend. Not only did they share a love for candy, they also were passionate about helping showcase what the island has to offer, including some of the best handmade confections, old-time favorites and unique novelty items, Ellis said.
They view this shop as a perfect place to combine their businesses, experiment and highlight other Big Island products, as well as be “purveyors of sweets and nostalgia,” Ellis said.
The taffy flavors will change regularly and more products will be added over time. Currently, Ellis and Herrera are working on old-fashioned fudge, lollipops and chocolate covered taffy.
Over the past three years at Have A Ball Chocolate Factory and Store in Kainaliu, Ellis has been creating premium chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, fruits and coffee beans with her husband, Karl. Tours are offered there daily.
Herrera and her husband, Richard, own Sweet Ohana Candy Factory in Kailua-Kona, where they have been making taffy, chocolates and cookies for about 10 years. It takes an hour to create one batch of taffy, which is made of sugar, water, salt, flavoring and, of course, love, Herrera said.
After the soft and chewy candy is pulled and glossy, a machine, made in the 1900s, wraps about 250 pieces in a minute. Tours with a six-person minimum are available at the factory, but must be pre-arranged by calling Mele’s Hawaiian Taffy Shack at 331-0460.
Since opening the shop, the best part for Herrera has been the customers.
“They bring out the excitement in me. I enjoy seeing their reactions after tasting our treats and hearing their stories,” she said. “One lady from New Jersey was amazed when she stepped in this shop because it reminded her so much one she went to as a child in her neighborhood.”
Ellis said they welcome anyone to come in with a challenge or idea.
“The fun part is getting input from the community and their suggestions of what we should carry,” she said. “There’s always a story behind it.”
The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For more information, visit HawaiianTaffyShack.com.