Honolulu’s syrup specialist Pono Potions has quietly leveled up from cafe darling to nighttime hangout, slipping into Chinatown with a new bar and lounge called PEWA. The spot takes the company’s island-flavored, housemade syrups and builds them into a full cocktail lineup, plus brunch and late-afternoon plates built for small groups, casual meetups and community events.
As reported by Pacific Business News, PEWA opened this month at 1115 Bethel St. in the Hawaii Building, a block from Little Village Noodle House. Coverage there frames the new lounge as a natural extension of Pono Potions’ daytime cafe work and a showcase for syrup-forward cocktails and spritzes.
What’s on the menu
According to Aloha State Daily, PEWA starts the day as an espresso bar, then shifts into a lunch program before rolling into pau hana dinner service with shareable plates and cocktail spritzes. Behind the bar, staff lean heavily on Pono Potions syrups for signatures like the Crown Flower and Red Palaka, while nonalcoholic Pono spritzes and mocktails give sober and “school night” drinkers something to work with. Local coverage notes cocktail prices generally land in the mid-to-high teens, and weekend nights are already drawing solid crowds.
From syrups to a storefront
Pono Potions began as a small-batch syrup maker before opening its Pō’ai cafe on Smith Street in 2021, per Honolulu Magazine. The brand leans into locally sourced ingredients and runs a bottle-recycling program that donates a portion of sales to the Hawaii Foodbank, Hawaii Business reports.
A Chinatown stop with a community spin
Owner Peter Hessler shaped the Bethel Street concept to feel like a neighborhood find, with an antique-shop-style entrance that opens into a courtyard and bar space meant for gatherings rather than quick solo stops. Speaking to Aloha State Daily, Hessler said, “We wanted to bring our community together,” and the team is planning workshops, pop-ups and collaborations with other local makers to keep the calendar lively.
Hours and how to find it
PEWA’s listed address is 1115 Bethel St., with early listings showing morning espresso service, lunch and an evening cocktail program, though hours vary by day. Prospective visitors are advised to check PEWA’s Instagram or the Pono Potions website for the latest schedule. Neighborhood guides also continue to point fans to the original Smith Street Pō’ai cafe at 1119 Smith St. for daytime drinks, retail syrup bottles and events.
