Rodeo General Store in the center of Makawao town has been restored since it acquired new ownership in November 2019. Significant improvements prove that this long-established inland staple food is a valuable source of sustainability, convenience, and community. Locals and tourists gather every day to drink coffee, fresh local meat, produce, groceries and delicacies. Whether the product is made in Maui, grown in Maui or raised in Maui-this is why Rodeo General Store proudly supports and serves the locals.

One of the many advantages of Rodeo General Store is that it acts as a hub for community utilization and circular economy growth. Lopes Farm llc’s meat is sold here. Lopes Farm is a small island ranch that collects more than 44,000 pounds of unused produce from local restaurants and grocery stores (including Rodeo General) every week to feed farm animals. This helps prevent too much waste from filling up our small island landfill. Okoa Farms in Kula offers most of the products sold by Rodeo General. Customers can even order products from Okoa Farms on Monday and pick them up at Rodeo General (see Okoafarms.com for details). It can be seen that many other small local vendors and community members are shipping goods every day as part of the store’s grocery selection. Abundance is constantly circulating inward, and supporting the local is just a way of life. 

Owners Ian Burke and Patrick Dours won the Small Business of the Year Award in December 2020 because they kept the needs of the community in mind when restoring Rodeo General Store to a place that combines quality and value. Ian said that as a co-owner of the store, it is important for him to implement the "handshake diet".

"This is similar to the 50 or 100 mile diet you may have heard of, but since we are a small island, the goal of the handshake diet is to be able to shake hands with all our suppliers and farmers and know their names. We have More than 50 kinds are made at Maui suppliers. From groceries to agricultural products to meat, our meat comes from the street, and the fishermen call us directly from the boat! We are very happy to support the local area, we always serve the local first purchase."

Ian pointed out that after acquiring the store, he and Patrick asked community members what they wanted to happen to Rodeo General.

"This is really helpful for us because everyone we talked to said,'We are back like a grocery store near us and are able to make a meal with what you can buy here at a reasonable price. Very good dinner. This is what we want to do is to provide locals with high-quality homemade food at reasonable prices. And to show tourists what is made in Maui."

– Ian Burke, co-owner of Rodeo General Store

You can find Ian and Patrick, as well as head chef David Diller and deli staff at the deli on any given day. David shared some of the core beliefs of the kitchen.

"We provide fresh local produce and meat. We provide a variety of delicious dishes made from scratch. We produce in small batches, so the attention to detail is there. We incorporate local products into fresh cooked food throughout the day. middle."

The chefs and staff are proud of every meal they prepare, and community members stop all day to ask what dishes are in the kitchen as proof! Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served from 7 am to 7 pm. Rodeo General Store is a regular stop for residents to commute daily. Therefore, they respect the importance of reliability and have ready-made meals every day.

Rodeo General Store's closely connected community atmosphere is magnified by its love of neighbourhood pets! A fluffy gray cat is resting at the cash register called Puff. He comes to "work" every morning and leaves every night. He and many of his neighbor’s dogs and puppies come to entertain guests every day and are welcomed by the staff. Pet owners like to take their pets to Rodeo General every morning, where they get a piece of bacon and deal with other pets nearby! More importantly, at the cashier, you can actually buy small Puff stickers, and the profits will be donated to the Maui Humane Society! The pet-friendly atmosphere brings the locals closer and surprises tourists.

Rodeo General Store continues to recover from any setbacks caused by the pandemic and consistently supports the community. The icing on the cake is that employees say they are treated well here and can rely on work even during the pandemic. The shopkeepers and employees said that they knew that Rodeo General Store is special, and there are more than ordinary convenience stores. It is the community gathering place of Makawao, rich in history, diversity and Aloha spirit.

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