Ige’s Restaurant & 19th Puka owner Ronald Ige, left, with Gov. Neil Abercrombie at a University of Hawaii football fundraiser at the restaurant in June. Ige’s will close on Jan. 18. (Star-Advertiser File)
BY ERIKA ENGLE / eengle@staradvertiser.com
Ige’s Restaurant & 19th Puka’s last day of service will be Jan. 18 after 10 years of serving local favorites and hosting local entertainers.
“Don’t be sorry, I’m very happy,” said owner Ronald Ige. “The lease is up and it’s tiring, running a restaurant.”
IGE’S RESTAURANT & 19TH PUKA98-761 Oihana Place, Aiea |
In addition to being tiring, he said electrical and other costs for the 8,000-square-foot restaurant were going up.
“And it’s a no-brainer. When the lease came up, I wasn’t going to renew it, no way.”
Entertainers have expressed sadness over losing the venue at which to perform, he said, so each has been scheduled to play one last time before closing night.
It was a good run and “we had great fun,” he said.
Ige is not getting out of the food business, however. He will continue to run his catering business behind Cutter Ford in Aiea, at 98-025 Hekaha St. in Harbor Center, which he described as a walk-up, plate-lunch place.
“At age 57 I just look forward to working down here (at Hekaha Street). I’m going to feel like I’m retired,” Ige laughed.