Pioneering Hawai‘i Bartender Dave Newman Has Left Pint + Jigger After 13 Years. Here’s What He Has to Say

Dave Newman. Photo: David Croxford

In 2007, on a quiet side street off Lewers, Dave Newman rolled out a new program at Nobu Waikīkī. Industry Sundays was designed as a treat for hospitality workers and enthusiasts—a chill night when they could slide by for meticulously made, classically inspired drinks. The program would become a catalyst for one of the most significant shifts in Hawai‘i’s culinary landscape: the popularity of craft cocktails.

In the years that followed, Newman emerged as a vanguard of the movement. He went on to open Pint + Jigger, which he co-owned, in 2012. Under his leadership, the bar and its formidable whiskey program became one of the most influential in Hawai‘i, introducing new bartending standards and demystifying sought-after drams. Pint + Jigger became a beloved haunt for devoted regulars and a premier training ground for other leading bartenders in the Islands and beyond. The world took note: Pint + Jigger was named a 2024 Spirited Awards Regional Top 10 Best U.S. Hotel Bar, and in 2025, Newman was a James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

Late last year, Newman announced his departure from the bar he helped build. HONOLULU caught up with him to reflect on his time at Pint, what lies ahead and how the community can support a tenuous industry.

Congratulations on 13 years at Pint + Jigger! What are you most proud of?

Newman: When we started Pint, the question was, “Can we do this? Is this something that will work in Hawai‘i?” Nobody will believe this now, but when we opened, there was not a single bar in the entire country that tried to bring craft beer and craft cocktails together. Now, every single bar does it. People told us we were stupid because beer drinkers and cocktail drinkers wouldn’t share the same space.

The landscape is so different now. Back then, no restaurants had craft cocktail menus. Now, every single restaurant’s cocktail program is amazing. It’s cool to see that Pint’s original concept is now the industry standard.

How about personally? What are you proud about?

Newman: I’m so proud of the mentoring relationships over the years. So many amazing humans have come through that bar bartending, and most of them are doing really cool things. They’ve graduated. My best friend is Kyle from Kō Hana Rum, and his level of hospitality now is some of the best in the industry. My favorite bartender to sit in front of in Hawai‘i is Arielle Hafen. I think she brings the best combination of genuine warmth, amazing hospitality and a skill set that is unreal. Her palate’s dope, and she makes great cocktails. She’s running the program over at Brick Fire Tavern. Others include Art Deakins, Alicia Yamachika, Quinn Mears, Curtis Daulerio and Justin D’Olier.

I’m just one human, but when you have all these other parts of the family tree out there doing the same, the touch just grows.

SEE ALSO: A New Generation of Mixologists Is Raising the Bar for Craft Cocktails

What did you learn while you were at Pint?

Newman: You can have what you think is a great concept and put out a great product, but at the end of the day, if you’re not listening to your guests, you’re in a lot of trouble. Our guests completely rejected the idea of incorporating wine. I could fight against that and really struggle. Or I could listen to them, take that feedback and run with it. It was as learning moment for me to realize that our guests are so valuable to us. Why wouldn’t I listen to their opinions and what they want? I think a lot of businesses don’t do that.

What would you tell someone who’s looking to start a career in bartending?

Newman: Go into finance. Be a contractor. Do anything other than that.

I hope you are joking. [laughs] Why?

Newman: Our industry does not do a great job of taking care of the people in it. We still don’t have anything to take care of you post-career. You have to plan all of that for yourselves. You’re not getting a retirement plan or 401k, unless you’re working in a hotel. While there is a lot of new appreciation for bartending now, like James Beard nominations being a possibility, which is great, the structural support isn’t there.

So what should young bartenders do if they’re determined to enter the industry?

Newman: Bartending should be looked at as a stepping stone. You can make a career out of it now because there are incredible industry-adjacent opportunities. You can start as a bartender and become a brand ambassador or go work for a distributor or company, like Campari or Diageo, where companies are taking care of their people in a much more thoughtful and long-term way. Opening your own bar is an option, of course, but you’re still, at the end of the day, responsible for all of your own benefits and retirement planning.

What do you think is important for the Hawai‘i bar and restaurant scene to survive and keep evolving?

Newman: A big problem is that as our industry goes into these expansion stages, there aren’t enough managers or people to train others. There aren’t that many programs pumping out people who run other programs. So you end up with a lot of people that aren’t qualified yet to run bar programs. Eventually, that cycle goes back the other way, and you end up with a concentration of talent at much fewer spots.

Is the labor shortage the only reason, or what are the other challenges?

Newman: I mean, labor shortage is part of the reason I exited Pint + Jigger. As an owner, you’re constantly getting the call when two people call out, and your one day off a week is gone. It wasn’t sustainable for me anymore. Post-COVID, a lot of people in the industry figured out there are much easier and better ways to earn a living.

We also face challenges with the economy: the rising cost of goods, labor and insurance in Hawai‘i. You’re seeing places cutting costs in ways that aren’t great for the people in our industry, like paying staff cash under the table because the cost of providing insurance is too great. Even though Pint is incredibly busy—we’re doing over $3 million a year in gross sales—and we’re able to provide health insurance and a fair wage, that’s just not feasible for most places. Also, the sacrifices go beyond money. If you work in Waikīkī, you work every single holiday. Missing out on all those family occasions is a huge personal cost.

Costs are going up for everyone, both restaurants and guests. So how can the community help?

Newman: During COVID, the conversation completely shifted to: “Who do you want to support that you want to still see around next year?” That mindset needs to become more prevalent with guests. If you want to see Town restaurant be Town restaurant in five years, you need to be supporting the next Town restaurant. You vote with your money. We were hopeful post-COVID that costs would back off a little bit, but unfortunately, with tariffs and minimum wage coming up, that’s not going to happen.

So were the labor shortage and quality of life the main reasons you decided to leave Pint?

Newman: It’s definitely a part of it. The quality of life and just not having the support that I needed made it become unhealthy. I’m programmed to work and work until I drop dead. It was about being able to step back and see that it wasn’t going to be sustainable for me. We didn’t have the infrastructure for me to get any breaks. Not getting opportunities to recharge after so many years, it becomes really draining.

I always wanted to walk away from Pint while it was still doing really well. The fact that Pint + Jigger is still doing over $3 million in sales after 13 years in business is something that I am also very proud of. I’m leaving Pint + Jigger on my terms in a way where I can hold my head high. I just got to the point where I was really exhausted, and I started to feel like I wasn’t able to bring my best to the table on a daily basis.

I have too much love and respect for our guests and the staff to give anything less than 100%. So I knew it was time to step away. Is it the end of the book? Definitely not.

SEE ALSO: Foodflash: Pint + Jigger’s Dave Newman Moves on to Finals of 2025 James Beard Awards

So what’s next for you?

Newman: I’m definitely going to take a break and recharge to get back to a space where I have the energy and desire to give everything to our guests.

And then what?

Newman: Yeah, I have some concepts in mind that I’m really excited to bring to the table. Nothing concrete I can share just yet, but I think there are some really cool, new vibrant things.

Things are changing, and the economy doesn’t look to be getting better anytime soon. When I look at the price of a cocktail, I realize how much of that is going towards labor that isn’t necessarily part of actually making the drink. I would like to open a place where that isn’t the case. It’s just got to have a lot fewer moving parts. I want to open a space that is hyper-focused on amazing cocktails, but at a more affordable price point.

Do you have any predictions for restaurants and bars in 2026?

Newman: Unfortunately, I think we’re going to see an acceleration of business closures. We’ve opened so many spots that our community cannot support them all. This has always been true—90% of bars and restaurants do not make it—but I think you’ll see the pace of that being accelerated. Chinatown right now is really struggling. We’re losing the oldest bar in Hawai‘i, Smith’s Union, and the writing’s on the wall for some other businesses Downtown.

Eventually, the pendulum will swing the other way, and places will be really busy. The thing is, right now, the best places are always busy—the Giovedìs, the Brick Fires, the Pig & the Ladys—and you look at spots next door to them, and they’re dead. It’s crazy that places that are busy, busy, like Pint, still find the business so hard with labor shortages and margins. I think, unfortunately, for a decent amount of places, the future is going to be really, really challenging.

You’re in Los Angeles taking a well-deserved vacation. What would you drink—beer or cocktail?

Newman: Well, it’s 12:45 here. [laughs] I’d actually love a martini. I think certain drinks are just timeless. You could have a Negroni forever. I could drink a martini or a margarita or a daiquiri forever. I’ll still be wanting to drink those drinks 20 years from now.

Noelle Chun is a contributor to HONOLULU Magazine and Frolic Hawai‘i.