 And welcome to this week's edition of Business in Hawaii. I'm Byron Riddle, and we are broadcasting live from Think Tech Studios in downtown Honolulu. If you want to tune in, we are at www.thinktechhawaii.com. You may also subscribe to our programs and get on our mailing list at that site as well. The theme of business in Hawaii is to share with you stories of local businesses by local people. Our guests share with us their journey to building a successful business right here at home. And with us today is Brianna Groesch of International Marketplace. Aloha, and thank you for having me down here today. I'm so excited to share with you what we've been doing since we've opened three years ago and kind of talk about our future at International Marketplace. Well, that's great. But let's go back a little bit and let's start with you. Why don't you tell us some stuff about you, Brianna? Yeah, well, currently, for the past two months, I'm the new general manager of International Marketplace. I'm so honored and privileged to have this position. Congratulations. Thank you. I started at the center three and a half years ago myself, actually on the construction team. So overseeing some of our construction cleaning, as well as some of our cultural elements, installing our statues, working with the local artists, to make sure that we were placing these statues on property appropriately and to their best wishes. So just a whole, and then also in between that, went to marketing. So ops, creative, marketing, and then back to ops again. So I'm just so fortunate that I've had this long career, if you will. I mean, it's been three and a half years, but this career with the center, and I've seen it grow from the ground up. And it's such a wonderful story to tell the past, to the present, and to the future. So let's back up a little further. What brought you to Hawaii initially? Yeah, so it was through work. Ironically, I have a degree in human biology. I was pre-med. One of my first jobs on Ireland before I went in my field, I was working as a waitress. Loved it. It's one of my favorite jobs I've ever had. I was working on Alamo on a boulevard at Goofy's Restaurant. It's like a small 13-top farm-to-table type restaurant. It was so much fun. But I was waiting to get my career here started, and the first job was a medical device sales rep. So I was doing that, still kind of in the health care, decided not to go to med school, and just meeting all the people that I met here, and all the different industries people were in. I love tourism. I love connection, and meeting people, and also sharing the stories that I've learned living in Hawaii. And I wanted to perpetuate that forward. So that's kind of how I started getting associated with tourism by way of Bennett Group, a local PR firm, and strategic communications firm. Again, I was fortunate that I had a breadth of clients in all different industries, and just able to see what they were doing, and kind of that started again. Like, hmm, I'm going to go explore this further. And then, like I said, I started with Bennett Group, and then I knew I wanted to go in-house with a company, and I decided to go with International Marketplace. So when you were on property, then you were actually with Toplin. Yes, I was. Yeah, and Bennett Group did have the International Marketplace account, and so it was kind of a little looked at it a little bit. I think that's how I met you originally. It was one of Michael Finley's talking events, and I think that's what we met. Yeah, he was our former general manager. But yeah, it's just been, I was with Bennett Group. We did the PR, and we oversaw the topping off ceremony, so placing the last piece of steel on the center. My name is signed on it. So it's just personally and professionally, my Hawaii career is tied to the center. That's fantastic. Let's go back a little bit. Let's cover some of the origins of the International Marketplace and come up to where we are today. So if you would. Yeah. Well, I'm sure as you know, since 1957, the center has just been this attraction and destination for Kama Aina and visitors to come, shop, eat, and dine, and take a load off. We all have maybe stressful days or whatnot. It's like just, we wanted it to always be a really fun place that everyone was welcomed. Over time, some places need a little TLC, and so the Queen of Milan Company, who is the landowner of the property, decided to choose the Tobin Company, which is now, it's the company I work for. And they chose us to renovate and reimagine the center to what it is today. And we reopened the center in August 2016. And I think what's so important is all those stories of the past. We worked with a lot of the cultural advisors, cultural, even some of the descendants. And just a lot of our company knew what we didn't know. And we know how to build centers. But there's such a history here in Hawaii and especially of the property that we needed to understand, learn. And a lot of folks took us under their wing, taught us everything. And we still have those relationships today. And we're so proud and honor those relationships and partnerships daily. Well, speaking of the property, I know that obviously the tree. Yeah, we cannot avoid the tree. That's our icon or like our, it's who we are. It's our 160-year-old Banyan tree. And we built completely around it because we knew what an icon it was and a beacon for the center. It's marked a historical tree and an exceptional tree by the city and county of Honolulu. I love to say to folks who don't know, the same arborist has been caring for it for over 40 years. And I'm like, that's just what a relationship in and of itself. Steve Nims, he's a well-known arborist within the community. And we're so lucky that we get to even work with him. Well, and I know initially there was a lot of people with concerns about the tree for obvious reasons. But I think the tree is probably flourishing now. Well, if you ask Steve, we see that. Housekeeping sees that. It's even actually growing at a rate like before. It only had one berry season a year. Now it's having two to three. And that's the sign of a really healthy, happy tree. And Steve will say that. He's like, this tree is happier than it's ever been. So we're super excited that the tree is just as happy if not happier. I think something else important to note is, and again, something we're proud of is that hundreds of developments across the globe entered to receive recognition from the Urban Land Institute for their efforts in development. The Tobin companies, and specifically International Marketplace, did win an award. We were one of 11 for global recognition for all those efforts I mentioned in working with our local partners and just understanding the nuances, both culturally and historically, of the property and of this special place in Waikiki. And so we're so like, we didn't need the award, but it's so awesome that the ULI recognized that as well. That's awesome. And again, it's another kudos to the Tobin team because they came in and did it right. But it takes, we always say on property, even in our team meetings, it's part of the Ohana. We have this International Marketplace Ohana. And it's just such a, we enjoyed working together. And it's such a nice thing to know other people know how much we enjoyed working together. Great. So I did mention Michael Finley earlier. And so let's talk a little bit because he's well known here. He came in and did a lot of the footwork and developed quite a lot of stuff. So let's talk a little bit about the transition and bringing you in and where you're at and what your goals are going to be. Yeah, absolutely. So Michael Finley, like I said, is our former general manager. He's been with the Tobin company for over 35 years. So he's an industry veteran and expert. So I'm so privileged that he was the one that no one else could do it like him. He came here and this is, I think, his 9th or 10th property that he's worked with, with the Tobin company. And he came in and set us all up for success. So with his leadership and guidance, he moved here well before the property even opened and was here during the construction to kind of, again, learn about the property and all the key stakeholders and partners. So he did such a wonderful job. And I had the privilege, of course, of working with him as the marketing director. And again, he even took me under his wing and probably more than I ever knew when it was happening as most often mentors are doing. And he was one of the folks that, actually I was at the Waikiki Community Center last year. And properties were getting recognized for over 40 years of business in Waikiki. And our property was chosen, of course, where we have been. And he's like, Brianna, you go up for me. And I'm like, no, it's you. And he's like, no, you go. And there I was among all of these, again, industry veterans and whatnot, my, his peers. And I stood up there and I was like, you know what? In my head, I was like, I want to become a general manager one day. So I told him that after that. And I was also like, were you positioning me to do that? And he's like, maybe. And then we started telling his boss who told their boss and it kind of all started last year. And so it's just been a whirlwind of a ride. And sure enough, he got a position on the mainland. And so I'm here filling his shoes, his big shoes. And just so honored and again, privileged that the Taubman Company and this community just welcomed me into this position with open arms. Of course. Yeah. So, okay, let's talk a little bit about the shopping center itself. And, you know, you have many challenges because you're chasing different markets now. You're chasing the locals as well as the visitors. So let's talk about kind of some of the ways that you're going about doing it. We'll start with the tourists first and see. Actually, I'm gonna change it. We're gonna start with Kama'ina first. Sure. Because I think in order if you can imagine as a visitor, they're coming to Hawaii for Hawaii. You can, in our industry, you can shop and dine anywhere. But what makes our shopping and dining experience authentic? And so, especially our team, we are all Kama'ina. We live here and work here every day. So it's also, you know, when we look at from a marketing perspective, what do we want to do? What do our friends and families want to do? And I think when you start at that kind of foundation, that core, then you can start thinking about the visitor. Because you're looking at other experiences, you know, aside from shopping and dining. We'll talk about that. I think later, the cultural programming and whatnot. But just what else can you do to round out that total experience? And at the end of the day, my goal is that folks leave the property, Kama'ina, and visitors alike. Learning a little bit about our, you know, we have Queen Emma, a statue and, like, paying nod and homage to the royal family, or just like the banyan tree, like just how amazing that is. I just want them all to, you know, leave something feeling a little inspired about Hawaii or Waikiki, and taking that home with them wherever they're going. So what goes into the selection of some of the stores, perhaps, I mean to attract locals versus tourists? Yeah, yeah. I think always, well, again, both groups, they want something that's made in Hawaii. So we're, you know, looking at, you know, Hawaii exclusive is that even we see some of our big name brands like Fabletics, they work with local artists to have, you know, custom shirts, but it's still a global brand. So it's so neat. We encourage that, our leasing team encourages that, and we see results with it. And it's also, again, you can have these brands, whether, you know, again, they're, like, well-known brands, but what makes them different is that when they, I call it localize, or kind of add that, like, local sentiment. And that's been really popular within the retail industry. Fabulous. Yeah. So let's go ahead and talk about some of the things that are new. What are you doing that's new on site, and then, you know, maybe we'll start with dining. Let's look at some of the dining and what's going on there. Yeah. Well, I think, too, just, like, as a nod to, like, everything, there's over 100 shops and restaurants. All of them, we have anything from, you know, luxury brands like Rolex, Balenciaga, Tesla, and then we have a lot of moderately priced brands, Fabletics, Shoe Palace, you know, brands like that. And then, of course, we have local brands, as well as, like, Kula & Co., Eden & Love, Martin & McArthur. So I think when you're looking at international marketplace, there's also this, that same goal, it's, you know, it's a little bit of something for everyone. So it's just kind of, and it's, you know, it's kind of an adventure or experience when you're even walking through the center, that it's not a typical layout of a, you know, a mall. You kind of, the layout is developed to replicate a stream that was formerly there. So the layout of the center is actually in, like, a stream-like fashion. We want you to, like, enjoy being there. It's the ambiance, it's the setting. So as you peruse shops and restaurants, you know, you're kind of taking a load off again. Yeah. But for dining, we have our third-level Grand Lanai, which is dedicated solely to dining. Of course, we have other restaurants. We have the street on level one. But we just added Kaku's Sushi & Seafood Buffet, which is a new concept. Again, moderately priced. It's welcome, great for families. Shore Fire opened with us last year. Looked good, amazing local food. Flour & Barley, Strip Stick by Chef Michael Mina. Eating House, 1849 by Ron Yamaguchi and Herringbone and Gomate. So again, as you're, like, also I'm getting hungry. You're like, you're like, where am I gonna go for lunch next? No, but it's just, again, a little bit of something for everyone. And it's just neat to see, you know, these new restaurants join us and see how it adds to overall experience on the Grand Lanai. Great, you know, I think we're getting ready to take a short break here. I'm gonna say this is business in Hawaii, so we'll see you back here shortly. Aloha, my name is Duration. You are watching Think Tech Hawaii. I will be hosting a show here every other Wednesday at 1 p.m., and we will be talking to a lot of experts and guests around sustainability, social justice, the future here in Hawaii, progressive politics, and a whole lot more. So please tune in, and thank you for watching Think Tech Hawaii. Hello, I'm Mofi Hanomet. I wanna tell you about a great show that appears on Think Tech Hawaii. It's all about tourism. In fact, we call it Tourism 101, where we talk about the issues and challenges that faces our number one industry throughout the state. We'll have some interesting guests, very informative dialogue, and allow you an opportunity to maybe learn a little bit more by why this industry is so important for our state. It's been great for us in the past. We need it today, and especially going forward. That's Tourism 101 on Think Tech Hawaii. Mahalo. Hi everyone, welcome back. This is Business in Hawaii, and with us today is Brianna Groesch of International Marketplace. So Brianna, we kind of finished that. We started getting close to, and I apologize for that break. It came up a little sudden, but let's finish up a little bit more with the dining in where we left off. Yeah, absolutely. So we're talking about level three dining, but as I mentioned, there's also a concept on level one called The Street Food Hall by Michael Mina. What I think is a really fun tip for folks to know is they have something called the party pass. You'll see it soon on your screen, but it's something that you can go up to any of the concierge within the building or within the restaurant, and you can purchase this party pass. We get to go and try like little poo-poos or like little small drink samplings from the stations. So it's kind of a different way to experience dining, but it's a fun thing to do. So they buy so much and they get a little script and they go to each place? So they give it like a gift card when you get to go around to each station and you get to use one of the stamps on there. So it's like $36.99, I think, and there's like seven different offerings. So you can just go to anyone or you can use them all at one station. But again, just a fun way. And the food there is pretty good, I'm gonna say. Yeah, it's super good. Yeah. So, okay, so we'll get into, now let's talk a little bit more about some of the shopping because I know you alluded to some of that. So let's talk about some of the newest and greatest, what's going on with the shopping. Absolutely, so we are opening To Me and MCM relatively soon. Another ABC stores is coming into the center. And it's, again, just been this overall offering of just different, all different mixes of things. And we feel like that is what our customer has been wanting and just catering to their needs. So it's been really fun to round out that shopping experience that way. And what about activity? Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about some of the fun things. Yeah, that's super important. And there's, even aside from some of the activities, there's what we call customer amenities. So you'll see we have free shopping mall Wi-Fi. We also have areas where you can sit down and charge your phone for free within the mall. Maybe someone wants to sit and sit while someone else is shopping. Those rocking chairs are great. We have rocking chairs by Martin and MacArthur. And we even have a celestial pool that a lot of families will bring their kids to come. The kids are busy, so mom or dad can go and shop. And so the kids are entertained. Aside from that, we do have a nightly hula show that's free and open to the public. It's customized, and it tells our specific story. So it talks about Dukanamoku's, the nightclub, the actual, that was a nightclub where Don Ho used to perform. It also talks about Dukanamoku as the surfer, and then talks about Queen Emma, her family and some of her history as well. So it's, like I said, customized to the center, and it's just a beautiful show. So we encourage everyone to come down and see that and just, again, learn a little bit about the property. And the tower. The tower, the Lamaku Torch Tower. We start the hula show off nightly with a procession. They come out onto Kalakawa, the dancers do, and performers, and they light it magically. And then they proceed to, they walk through the center to the stage. So it's just a nice way to kind of call out and back into Waikiki to come and watch our show. Perfect. Yeah. So, you know, I know you, and I know that you guys are also, you try to reach out to the community and do a lot of things with the community. Why don't you tell us a little bit more about what you do there? Yeah. Well, personally, I'm on a few boards. I'm with Access Surf. It's a local nonprofit that helps people with disabilities surf and swim. The YWCA of Oahu, Waikiki Community Center, and the Waikiki Improvement Association. So it's just been anything supporting, you know, I'm all about inclusivity personally and professionally. I'm also about the Waikiki community. I'm a resident there as well, so I walk to and from work. And so I just wanna make sure that everyone in Waikiki is taken care of. And what about as the center itself, maybe not just, I mean, I know that, I know that you guys do a lot of different things. Yeah, we do a lot. We annually support the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival. We love to partner with programs that support the next up-and-coming chef. So we do Restaurant Week Hawaii, which is coming up in November. And then there's just a whole other, the Queen's Medical Center, we also support them. There's just a whole bunch of things that we're doing. And there's a job fair coming up? There is a job fair. It's happening this weekend and we're super excited. We have 14 merchants that are participating that are looking for wonderful employees. And so it's an annual program or event that we do. We do four hours of free parking for anyone that interviews with one of our merchants. And more details are available on our website, which is shopinternationalmarketplace.com. And I'm sure you have an Instagram page too, right? Of course we do, yeah, of course. So holiday events, we're coming up on the holidays and I know that you guys tend to do a little bit more than the norm. So why don't you tell us about what you got coming up? Yeah, so aside from our merchants that have wonderful, you know, Shipstake puts on a lovely holiday menu. I believe they've launched their Thanksgiving menu so even if you wanna take a look at that, you can. And then we also do Strolling Santa for the holidays on weekends and December. We do a little different thing with Santa in that he, you know, wears his aloha shirt, he's giving chakas and he's kinda strolling around and interacting in a different way than a typical set. So you can find him four through four p.m. to 10 p.m. Again, weekends and December. And then of course just all the special offers and sales that the stores are putting onto. So, you know, we still have quite a bit of time. So let's talk about, to you, what is it that makes international marketplace unique? What sets you apart from, let's say, your competitor? Yeah, I love that every day I get to come to work and I get to share this unique story with our visitors. And that's visitors to the center. Again, that's Kamayana and visitors. You talked about the Banyan Tree. There's the Hula Show. There's just like, I don't know, there's such like the mana of international marketplace. Like we all feel it, our management team and our merchants. And it's just, again, such a lovely place to, again, like peruse and walkthrough and just the history that's there is so neat and deep. And so, again, to be able to tell those stories every day for as a profession is such a privilege and so fun. I hope people, yeah, learn, like I said, learn that and take pride in that too if they learn it. What are some of the things, now that you're in charge and running things, is there anything that you'd want to do different or is there anything that you'd want to, what do you want to expand on? What would you like to put your footprint in and now that you're following through what Michael did and he did an excellent job and like you said, you choose. But you got pretty big shoes there too, Brianna, so what are you gonna do? I think personally, I like to lead with heart, lead with Aloha. I think that's the difference. And I want everyone, again, especially, I think, again, it starts with our own management team, our merchants and the type of customer service we're providing. It's I want everyone to feel that sense of Aloha when they're coming to the center. So we've actually started rolling out programs to help educate and elevate our teams through the customer service we provide and also the cultural education of the property. So there's more to come there. But at the end of the day, I think there's so much more we can do with, again, understanding the stories from the past and what's that modern interpretation of them? I love with laymaking. We work with local laymaker, Meliana Estes, and she learned the art of laymaking from her tutu. So it's this traditional art, but she's kind of interpreted into her own modern and fashion. So I think there's other things we can do similarly with bringing that past to life to the present, but in this re-imaginative way, which is just as the symbol or the property itself has gone through that transformation. So I would tell people to kind of look out for that because we're planning. Excellent. Now, I know one of the shots here, there was a trolley. So why don't you talk a little bit about? Yeah, so last April, we opened up a bus depot and we have wonderful partners that use that daily. And one of them is Waikiki Trolley. And so while we are a partner on the pink line, you can get off at the pink line across the street at the International Marketplace Stop. You can actually also get off and on in-center in our bus depot and take part in the yellow line, which opened or launched rather this year and it's the dining line. So it goes down Kapahulu. And so even if you live on Kapahulu, you can come into Waikiki via this and it's pretty cheap. And sometimes they even do comma and a discount for Halloween or certain holidays. But again, just a fun way to like, how do we need to get somewhere via transportation or are we like to dine? How do we do these like standard practices, like traditional things a little differently? And I love that this trolley partnership has really, you know, helps us even think about transportation in a different and new way. So one other thing then, this is just off the cuff because I'm thinking, okay, you're in the middle of Waikiki. What about your neighbors? How do you work with your neighbors? You have hotels all the way around you and I'm sure that you must have some kind of partnerships or working relationships with some of them too. Yeah, yeah, we love our neighbors in Waikiki, especially since our guests that come to the center, a lot of them are staying there. So we work in partnership with all of them around us, literally. And while we have great relationships and some folks there can get things like your passport to shopping, which is an exclusive shopping and dining package. The hotels help us put that out. It's just, you know, again, we're all representatives of the Waikiki community. So we all have to work together to make sure our tourist and our visitor, comma, Aina, are well taken care of. So whether it be offering them special packages or even the folks that work in Waikiki, comma, Aina discounts and making sure that our team is getting the information out there to let them know to come down and try some new food or shops out. We have about two more minutes left. So in closing, is there anything else you'd like to add or share that just? Yeah, I think it's, again, just been a whirlwind. And what I love to see is that while we always envision comma, Aina, coming back to the center, we're seeing even more. We know that they love parking. The parking's accessible and easy off of Cahillo Avenue. So even if Kala-Kala's closed, which it sometimes is, it makes it super easy. Like some people call it like Costco parking. I wonder if I can get their permission to start branding it that way. Big stalls, well lit, whatever. That's hilarious, because it is. It is, it is. They're nice big stalls. So I think our center did so much to keep the comma, Aina, in mind. And I love to hear that feedback that they're coming back to Waikiki and even more than we ever imagined. And so I hope that trend continues and we're doing everything we can to hope it to keep that increasing. Okay. Yeah. All right. That's all. That's it? Yeah. Well, okay, we're running out of time then. And what I wanna do is thank you so much, Brianna, because it's been a pleasure and I'm glad that you were able to make it today. Thank you everyone else for joining us. Thank you for the great production staff here in the studio. And if you would like to be a guest on the show, please email your information to showsatthink.Hawaii.com. Business in Hawaii airs every Thursday at 2 p.m. We look forward to seeing you here next week. Thank you very much.