Sneak Peek: Broome Street General Store Opens its First Honolulu Location

“Oooooh!” I say, my eyes wide in anticipation. “I’m gonna be in here for a while.”

Stepping into Honolulu’s new Broome Street General Store for the first time gives me my favorite kind of thrill. It’s the same buzz I get when I’m exploring a new city and wander into “the one”—the shop I’m about to get lost in for a good hour, the shop where all my omiyage will come from.

Brimming with covetable goodies from small, hard-to-find brands, the Waikīkī boutique offers everything from gourmet pantry items and home décor to luxe apothecary finds, fashion accessories and wellness products, sourced from all over the globe.

The store’s concept is pretty unique. “It’s like if Neiman Marcus and 7-Eleven had a baby,” explains owner Sophie Graham, who opened her first location in L.A.’s trendy Silver Lake neighborhood in 2010, inspired by her experience on the actual Broome Street in New York where she once lived.

Photo: Courtesy of Broome Street General Store

“I was working a super-demanding marketing job on Wall Street for a big financial company. I would get there early in the morning and come home late at night. There was never time to shop and get the things I needed… whether that was for my home, a dinner party or someone’s birthday.” That’s when it hit her: “Wouldn’t it be great if there was one place that had the hours and attitude of a bodega, with all of the best things in life under one roof?”

This explains why I’m seeing Momofuku Goods sauce and noodles nestled next to sleek pans and knives from cult-favorite brand Material Kitchen. And gorgeous candles from French label Trudon—“they’re the oldest candlemakers in the world,” Graham informs me—are just a few steps from L.A. designer Ariel Gordon’s playful initial jewelry, shaped to mimic helium balloons.

Joined by her husband, photographer Peter Graham (he’s behind the shop’s beautiful product pics and the dreamy travel snaps on its Insta account), she went on to open a second location in Culver City and quickly found her boutiques topping must-shop lists.

Photos: Courtesy of Broome Street General Store

“So, wait, what made you decide to open a shop here?” was my next logical question.

“We actually live here,” says Graham with a smile. It turns out that the Grahams had been looking to move from L.A. to somewhere that would offer their family a more balanced life. And it was in 2021, on their umpteenth trip to the Islands (they visited so many times, they lost count), she says, that O‘ahu “just felt like home—we felt like we belonged here.” They love the connection to nature—Peter, who previously lived on the Big Island, has been teaching their kids how to surf in Waikīkī.

For Sophie Graham, there was a strong cultural connection. “Being an Asian American woman, being Filipina, the level of comfort and being around people who felt like family was something I really responded to. The influence of Asian culture, the respect for elders and the respect for the land, there are so many different aspects that foster a sense of community, not just the one you live in, but the larger Hawai‘i community. It really was something that we wanted to be a part of.”

Photo: Credit Broome Street General Store

The duo has already started adding Hawai‘i labels to the shop’s lineup. You’ll find Koa skincare and sunscreen, ‘Okina baking mixes, hot sauces from Kauai Juice Co. and chocolate from Huff N Puff Hawai‘i. Honua Skincare, stocked at the L.A. locations, is on the way. “Our private label will actually be launching here,” adds Sophie Graham. “We’re doing our own T-shirts, bags and hats.”

And where the mainland Broome Streets have coffee shop components to them, the Grahams plan to bring a bit of the local farmers market to Waikīkī. Pop Culture artisan popsicles (the matcha-honey and strawberry-guava are our faves) are offered daily, with plans to add freshly pressed juices and wellness drinks. They’re even working on a dim sum day with one of their favorite Chinatown bakeries.

Along with supporting local, the duo is also big on giving back, donating a percentage of every sale to organizations dedicated to equality, sustainability and public education. “Our mission is to give you more time for the things that matter most while leaving this planet better for generations to come.” That includes helping customers find the best things, not necessarily more things. “Even though we do have so many things in our shop, our goal is to help you find the things you need and really, really love.”

Royal Hawaiian Center, broomestgeneral.com, @broomestgeneral, @broomestgeneralwaikiki