From its perch near the top of ‘Ālewa Heights, Natsunoya Tea House has become a historic landmark. But its continued success, says owner Lawrence Fujiwara, depends on being able to constantly renew and upgrade the business while retaining its appeal to longtime customers.
First opened in 1921, the teahouse and restaurant have been given a fresh exterior appearance since a fire on Feb. 24, 2024, destroyed the home of Fujiwara’s grandparents, the founders of the business. The adjacent restaurant’s kitchen was scorched on one side and other parts of the business suffered smoke damage, Fujiwara says, but everything else survived intact.
He declined to disclose the cost of damage while the insurance settlement is still in process, but those who worked on the repairs say things could have been far worse. The restaurant resumed full operations last May…