Farm Link Makes Its Online Grocery Selection Available in Real Life

Locally sourced online grocer Farm Link has stepped out of the digi-verse and into real life. Hō‘ili‘ili by Farm Link, the storefront it opened last fall in Mō‘ili‘ili, sells everything you see on its website. Island-raised produce and meats, milk, yogurt, ice cream, bread, cookies, even beer and hard cider: It’s all here in a compact neighborhood store, with ‘Ili‘ili Cash & Carry sandwiches and pizzas to boot.

How? A real-life retail presence was a likely next step for Farm Link, which exploded from $400,000 a year in pre-pandemic sales to $5 million now. Until last October, that revenue came from wholesale and online orders that were delivered across O‘ahu or picked up at Farm Link’s Kalihi warehouse. Planning for the store went into overdrive late last summer after Alejandro Briceño, ‘Ili‘ili’s chef-baker and co-owner, learned his cancer had returned. With that, Farm Link and ‘Ili‘ili inked an agreement, a win-win for both, and the store opened weeks later.

Specialty finds abound: fresh poi from He‘eia, Breadshop loaves and baguettes from Kaimukī, Neko Koneko craft lattes from Liliha, Mille Fête cookies and ice cream from Chinatown. Also rare on O‘ahu are Atebara potato chips from Hilo, Kula strawberries and blueberries, and, in season, persimmons from Maui’s Hashimoto family farms. There are even packaged food gifts—local chocolates, teas, honeys and salts—as visitors are discovering.

And if you just need bananas? They’re right by the star fruit.

2065 S. Beretania St., Mō‘ili‘ili,  farmlinkhawaii.com, @farmlinkhawaii

Mari Taketa is the dining editor of HONOLULU Magazine and editor of Frolic Hawai‘i.