A New Chapter: Honu Bakery x CU Hawaii Wholesale Partnership

When our new management team took over Honu Bakery last year, one of our top priorities was clear — to make our handcrafted goods more accessible to locals across the islands. For nearly two decades, we’ve been baking from the heart of Honolulu, serving fresh breads, pastries, and cakes made right here in Hawaii. Now, we’re taking the next big step in our journey — bringing Honu Bakery to shelves beyond our own stores.

We’re incredibly proud to announce our first-ever wholesale partnership with CU Hawaiʻi, the U.S. branch of CU — South Korea’s largest convenience store brand. As CU prepares for its very first U.S. launch right here in Hawaii, they reached out to us with a shared vision: to showcase the best of what local businesses can offer.

Over the past four months, our team has been working tirelessly alongside CU Hawaii and the University of Hawaii’s Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC) to make this partnership a reality. The process wasn’t easy — but it was deeply rewarding. Together, we:

• Handpicked five of our most popular products to debut on CU’s shelves

• Designed new retail packaging tailored for convenience store presentation

• Created nutrition labels that meet retail standards

• Adjusted recipes and shelf life testing — all while staying true to our handcrafted roots

When we finally saw our products stocked on CU’s shelves for the first time during the soft opening this week, it was a moment of pure pride and gratitude. What started as a small family-run bakery back in 2004 has now grown into something that represents Hawaii’s local craftsmanship on a bigger stage.

We’re fully aware that our products will be sharing space with big national and international brands — many of which are mass-produced and imported in bulk. But we believe in our difference. Every Honu Bakery item is made in-house, from scratch, right here in Hawaii. No frozen imports, no shortcuts — just genuine quality and local care.

As CU Hawaii opens its doors to the public on November 12th, we can’t wait for you to visit and see our baked goods proudly displayed alongside other local favorites. Your continued support has made this milestone possible, and we hope you’ll join us in celebrating this exciting new chapter.

Mahalo nui loa to our hardworking team, our partners at CU Hawaii and UH WVAPDC, and to our loyal customers — our Honu ʻOhana — who inspire us every single day.

Here’s to growing local, staying local, and keeping Hawaii flavor alive — one loaf, one pastry, and now, one shelf at a time.