A new pizza spot slinging kalua pig-topped slices and 18-inch whole pies has opened at 1670 Lusitana St. in Honolulu, filling a storefront wedged between Pauoa Valley, Papakōlea and Punchbowl. Hopohni opened its doors a few weeks before its debut coverage, offering thin-crust pizzas with unconventional toppings built for takeout, with a case of rotating slices kept warm and ready to go.
The shop occupies the former space of a gluten-free bakery, according to Aloha State Daily, which first reported on the new business. That prior tenant, Puʻuwai Aloha Bakery, had served gluten-restricted and vegan diners in Honolulu before its storefront closed, per Amy Burkhart, MD, RD. Hopohni sits next to a laundromat and relies on street parking, with hours currently running 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays — though the shop notes those hours are subject to change.
Kalua Pig Meets Thin Crust
The menu centers on whole pizzas and grab-and-go slices, with a lineup that includes tomato, cheese, and pepperoni pies alongside more inventive combinations. The pig pizza, a customer favorite, layers mozzarella, pecorino romano, kalua pig, lomi medley and chives over a crème fraiche base, running $6 per slice or $29 for a whole pie. It's a thin-crust reinterpretation of traditional Native Hawaiian luau staples — smoky, pit-roasted pork and a fresh tomato-onion salad — with kalua pig traditionally cooked in an underground earth oven known as an imu, according to Frommer's.
The mushroom pizza, another customer favorite, piles chopped cremini mushrooms, garlic, Italian parsley, white onions, lemon zest and chives onto a tomato-mozzarella-parmesan base for $5.50 a slice or $27 for a whole pie. The pina pizza takes a tomato-based approach with chopped pineapple, pickled red onions, jalapeño, chorizo and cilantro for $6 a slice or $29 whole. A chimichurri pie, built on a crème fraiche base with mozzarella, chimichurri and extra-virgin olive oil, runs $5.50 a slice or $27 for a whole pizza. The cheese pizza can include ricotta, while the pepperoni can be dressed up with hot peppers and Hawaiian chili-infused extra-virgin olive oil, or with sweet peppers and date syrup. Hopohni also plans to roll out rotating weekly specials.
A Corridor Between Homestead and Hospital
The address places Hopohni at a distinctive crossroads. Papakōlea, the neighboring homestead community on the slopes of Punchbowl Crater, is the only Native Hawaiian homestead located within Honolulu's urban core, established under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1921, per the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Those homestead lands are reserved for eligible Native Hawaiian beneficiaries. Lusitana Street also doubles as a healthcare corridor, home to multiple outpatient facilities for The Queen's Medical Center, including a physicians' office building down the road, according to The Queen's Health Systems — Hawaii's largest medical facility. That mix of homestead residents, hospital staff and patients gives a takeout-focused slice shop a built-in stream of potential foot traffic.
Above it all looms Punchbowl Crater, known natively as Pūowaina, or hill of deposits, which carries deep significance in both Native Hawaiian culture and modern military memorial history as home to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, according to Aloha Authentic. The Punchbowl and Pauoa area has long been home to family-owned neighborhood eateries, including nearby Liliha Bakery and Helena's Hawaiian Food in neighboring Kalihi, per Locations Hawaii. Lusitana Street has also drawn attention for less appetizing reasons — in April, Lusitana Street cops probe attempted murder after Honolulu police, fire and emergency medical personnel responded to an attempted murder investigation along the same corridor.
Part of a Wider Oahu Pizza Boom
Hopohni's arrival fits into a broader 2026 wave of pizza expansions across Oahu, which has included Canio's Pizza launching New York-style slice service in Waikiki and Zephanie's Pizza expanding its taro-crust pies on the North Shore, per Aloha State Daily reporting. New slice counters and specialized crust concepts have gained traction across the island this year. Honolulu's growing appetite for artisanal pizza was also on display in June, when the annual Festa Italiana street festival in nearby Kakaʻako featured multiple local pizza vendors and Italian specialty foods alongside street performances, as Hoodline reported in its piece on Festa Italiana's pizza and pasta party.
For now, Hopohni is settling into its Lusitana Street storefront with its case of grab-and-go slices and a menu built around local flavor combinations. Customers can reach the shop at 808-663-5472, though as with the hours, details are subject to change as the young business finds its footing in a neighborhood with deep roots.
