How it Started?
Mamoru Matsumoto was born in Hawaii but returned to Hiroshima when he was a toddler. The family struggled with money and Mamoru worked as an apprentice at the sake factory or other odd jobs; however, these incomes were not sufficient enough for them to get by on.
Mamoru grew up in a struggling family and boarded the ship to find work. His brother became ill, so he needed more money for his family anyway. He found himself on sugar plantations and railroads until finally becoming successful as a salesman of the Sakai Store (currently Pioneer Ace Hardware Haleiwa). In order to expand his knowledge during this time period when Hawaii was still occupied by Americans, Mamoru attended night school with English lessons among others which would later serve him well into modern times.
When Mamoru met Helen, he knew she was the woman for him. They were married at Haleiwa Jodo Mission and quickly became a dynamic force in their community as they both worked long hours to make it happen in America. The couple had an ambitious plan of opening up their own business so they could achieve success with two different ventures: owning a home for his family back in Japan and buying one together here too!
When Mamoru Matsumoto, together with his wife Helen, established a grocery store in Hawaii that was run out of their home. The concept for this endeavor began when Mr. Kazuo Tanaka gave them an opportunity to open up another shop at 66-087 Kamehameha Highway which is now known as M.Matsumoto Store Inc., and it has since grown into one thriving business venture!
With the birth of their three children, Glenn and Janice knew they needed to expand their business in order to provide for them. With Oahu’s beautiful North Shore as a perfect location, they decided on opening up a shop that sold shave ice cascading with homemade syrup all around town. The warm weather brought people from across the globe into this quaint store who wanted some shaved ice covered in delicious sweetness after surfing big waves or just enjoying life here at home!
As the business grew, so did their dreams and aspirations. But as they realized that help was needed to handle all of these customers coming in, it became clear to them that this is something only a family member can take on.
On a warm, sunny day in Hawaii, one can find many different people from around the world enjoying an ice-cold treat. Locals and visitors alike come to this store on any given day to purchase delicious shave ices served up by friendly staff members who take pride in their work and serve up more than 1,000 hand-crafted treats every Sunday!
The most famous shave ice in Haleiwa is Matsumoto’s Shave Ice. They are known for using homemade syrup to make their shavings and have captured the hearts of locals by doing so! Now they offer a ton of different flavors at their store where everyone can get what suits them best.
Check also Ted’s Bakery
