The Little Store That Grew Up… Loyal to Kaimuki
When Kaimuki Dry Goods first opened its door in 1926, trolley cars ran along Waialae Avenue and Kaimuki was a bustling residential community. It was a variety store then, one of the first shops to open in the area. The modern wooden building was crammed with anything and everything that customers could possibly want. Shelves were stocked with fabrics ranging from pure silk crepe de chine to muslin, men’s detachable collars, jewelry, shoes, belts, Easter candies, Christmas decorations and toys. Today, Kaimuki Dry Goods is a sophisticated fabric retail store and its wares include chiffons from Australia, silks from Japan synthetics that would have astounded the customer of 1926. The store does a brisk business in fabrics, sewing machines, commercial patterns, notions and trims. Financial success has made the expansion to larger, more modern quarters inevitable but Kaimuki Dry Goods will remain loyal to the neighborhood where it all began. Edith Takeya, manager of the family owned dry goods store reminisced about the early beginnings of this Kaimuki landmark. “My mother and father were real pioneers who opened one of the first stores in Kaimuki. Aside from the Pam Metzger, Manager, Dee Dee Miyashiro, President, Edith Takeya, Ex-Chairman (passed away 2009) merchandise, my mother had several dressmakers, sewing with her. As an extra service, special knitting classes were held in the evenings,” she recalled. The influx of large department stores forced another drastic change in “For home sewers, the store stocked Simplicity patterns. They were printed on inventory. In 1966, Kaimuki Dry Goods eliminated the ready-to-wear cream colored stock and were illustrated with crude pen and ink sketches. departments choosing instead to specialize in fabrics. “My father never worked in the store. He worked for Theo H. Davies & Co. When Dorothy Sumida retired as manager in 1972, Takeya took over the in the dry goods department.” store operations, assisted by her daughter, Dee Dee Miyashiro. All the goods sold at Kaimuki Dry Goods were bought from Davies. “My sister After 77 years of loyal service, Mrs. Takeya had passed away in 2009 and her Dot (Sumida) said that whatever Davies had to sell, we had in our store.” Takeya chuckled. “The changes in our merchandise were seasonal. Whenever there was children, Dee Dee Miyashiro and Kenneth Takeya have taken over Kaimuki a holiday, we had something new. Before Woolworth’s or Kress ever opened, we Dry Goods while Pam Metzger is now the manager. were making and selling Easter baskets. We’d stuff the baskets with paper, grass Since the very beginning, 87 years ago, Kaimuki Dry Goods has undertaken and candy. And we took special orders for larger and fancier baskets, too. many public service projects and that tradition has been one of their secrets “Christmas, when we were kids, was always so exciting. A big truck loaded to success. with toys would pull up to our store. Mother would open up a space in the store for the toys. She’d lay down wooden horses and wood planks and stack more horses and more planks for makeshift shelves to display the goods. “It was a busy time. We’d open late. Besides selling toys, we made Christmas ornaments and table center pieces to order. We would decorate a big ChristWho: Kaimuki Dry Goods, The Calico Cat, New Home Sewing Center mas tree for the store and all the customers wanted to buy that tree. The 1st and Kuni Island Fabrics are teaming together. customer to leave on Christmas Eve got to buy it. They’d take the tree home When: August 2nd, 3rd and 4th (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) with all the decorations. “In 1931, mother retired and my sister Dorothy became manager. Our store What: In-Store Specials at all 4 locations. Come and check it out! image changed. We began to specialize in ladies, infants, children’s wear Why: Keeping it local is what makes Hawaii...Hawaii! and fabrics. Dot managed the ready-to-wear departments and I had the piece goods.
“Shop Local”
Continuing our tradition of the finest fabrics in the islands. 1144 10th Avenue • Tel. 734-2141 • FREE PARKING • HOURS: Mon. thru Fri. 9am-8pm; Sat. 9am-5:30pm; Sun. 10am-4pm www.kaimukidrygoods.com 12 >> HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER >> SUNDAY 7/28/13