Seattle ready to says aloha to Hawaiian General Store

And welcome back to Seattle News Today. Got to make sure, since we've been hanging out with you guys throughout the morning. I'm A.J. Jannevelle. It is just about 1.30 on your Thursday afternoon. And I want to talk to a local business owner, amazing story, has been in the Seattle community with their business for 20 years. Joining me live is Gail Stringer, the owner of the Hawaiian General Store. And Gail, it is bittersweet to have you on because you guys are getting ready to say aloha. Thank you so much for joining me. How's the last couple weeks been since I talked to you last? It's, uh, it's been, as you said, um, bittersweet. So it's like the outpouring of support from Seattle, from the community, everybody has been, it's been incredible. It's really like super moving. Um, and it's really hard. It's really hard to be saying goodbye to everyone. You know, it's, it's like old home week and goodbye all at the same time. And I keep hearing over and over Over again, why closing. Is there anything we can do to save the store? And all those kinds of things. And that's making it both lovely and really hard. So let's tell them a little bit about your history. 28 years in the city. You're from Hawaii and you came to Seattle and you felt like that idea of Aloha was missing. And so you had this idea to kind of bring your home to your new home. Tell me about your history. 28 years here in the city. Yeah, so I don't, you know, I, granted, I don't really look like I was raised in Hawaii, but I was. And I think anyone who's ever been there knows that feeling of aloha. When you know it, you feel it. And it's just, it's such a lovely expression of It's just a lovely feeling to receive from someone and to give to someone. And it's not that it doesn't exist in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere in the world. It's just that I think Hawaii and Hawaiian culture has been practicing it for so long that it's just part of everything there. And so, yeah, I was up here and loving the Pacific Northwest, but there was just, I would hear. Somebody from Hawaii, and I would just think, somebody from Hawaii, and just, I get to talk to them, and it's not like people would come up to me and say, oh, you must be from Hawaii, so it's very much me having to reach out to people all the time, and one day, I just decided that I can't be the only person that's feeling this, and that would like a place to come to, too. Feel that aloha to get a lei when they want one for it to give to somebody because that is such a beautiful expression of aloha or to have a particular favorite food or something like that from Hawaii. And so just on a whim, I opened this store and it has taken off purely because of everyone else's love of aloha and love of Hawaii and love of each other. It's just kind of a big love fest is really what it is. That lei looks really good on you. Yeah, I thought I was talking to you, but yeah, so I just got this from you. The beautiful part was I understood what you were saying and I didn't have to hear a word. So this is kind of, you know, this is one of the things. This is how I first kind of learned about you was with so many people with graduating, wanting a lei, you would create that, but you did so much more. You kind of provided that piece of home. You walk into your store and There were things available there that you could not get anywhere else in the area. You provided that opportunity. You told me that for years people would travel for miles and miles and miles, even across the state, to come to the store to get things from home. Yeah, even across the border. We get a lot of Canadians that come down. There are hula halal up there and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, and it's like not, the store has never been about retail. You know, that's not the point. It's sort of like, I feel like people would come for the aloha, but then they would also get... Their crack seed, which is kind of a candy, sounds like crackish, but it's a Chinese preserved fruit. But to come and get whatever they needed that was Hawaii-related. But they would also get their aloha and vice versa. I think sometimes people came thinking they were just going to come to buy something and they'd find that there were people here that they knew, Like my favorite thing is that there'll be people wandering around the store and then they hear somebody else talking in the other corner of the store and they're like, hey, what? You're my cousin. It's this long connection thing, which I love. Yeah, because it was, as you mentioned, it was more than just the retail element, but building that community. And when I was speaking to you last month, people were coming in to say goodbye because you guys are unfortunately getting ready to close your doors later this month. When is the last day for the general store? So it's going to be on the 20th, which ironically is also my dad's birthday. And he's the one that. He's a lot of the aloha behind all this. He painted the mountains behind me in the back of the store, and he was just a huge part of this. So it's his birthday. Okay. So it's the 20th, unless somebody comes forward who really wants to carry this forward. And I'm really still hopeful that somebody will want to do that. It's not going to be a big moneymaker, but... There's a lot of people that will make a lot of people really happy. Yeah. So for more on that, you are, you're shut it down yourself. It's a lot. It's just. The changing face of business in 2026 in the country and the city of Seattle and everything that's going on, it's just a lot. But you said the business, if anyone wants to kind of pick it up and take it over, it's kind of, I don't know the word that you use for it, but it's ready to go. All you got to do is come in and take it over. So you're hopeful someone's watching and maybe wants to start their own business here in the city. Tell me more about that. Has anyone reached out? Yeah, a lot of people have, which is super sweet. So there are some people who are thinking about it and we're trying to figure out what that transition might look like. All But I think if there's anybody else out there who wants to think about it or give it a whirl, I'm really open to a lot of different ways the store could keep going. I think I'm. right. I'm a little beholden to staying here in this spot and serving the people of Seattle proper, as well as everybody up and down the I-5 corridor. But this location has a lot of mana in it to me. And mana is kind of like the way you walk in the door and you feel something. Mana is a power that things have. And over the years, this store has... Just absorbed the mana of all the beautiful people who've come through here. So it's just when people walk in, they're like, wait, what? And that's what it's all about. So there's part of me that would really love to keep it just even maybe just the satellite store here or the main store here. You can do whatever else you want all around the state. But to keep this in place for people is pretty important to me. Yeah, and, you know, it's important to a lot of people, too. When we were there talking to you when we first were covering this, people were coming in. They were saying goodbye or they just found out that you were closing. Has that kind of been the same process for the last couple of weeks? Have more and more people been coming in to say goodbye? You're making me cry. I'm sorry. All day, every night. It's a good cry. You know what I mean? It's all day, every day, the sweetest people are coming in. And it's, you know, I can't believe it's been almost 30 years. It's one of those moments like, wait, how old am I? But it's generations of people are coming in and they're like, I got my, this one guy yesterday, he was crying and he said, I got my lei from my girlfriend on our first date at the UW. And it won her over. She's now my wife. We've been getting lays for our kids. I got her a lay when she gave birth to our kids. And then now one of our kids is graduating this spring. And I don't know where I'm going to find a lei for our kid. I just am so sad that it's not continuing in that way. And, you know, it's just lovely that he had so much connection to the store and all of it. So, yeah, it's just been a lot of tears. I'm kind of tired. You've been working hard. It's been a lot. And as you mentioned, November 20th is the last day. When I was there, people coming in, so every single person for the last 20 years, give or take, who've had a connection to that store, making their way back in some capacity or the memories they have. Thank you very much, Jeff. I want to ask you, is there anything that people should know before that day on the 20th? Is there any events? that you guys are doing where it's kind of a goodbye or something, so the last day is the 20th on the 21st it will not be open so come on out if you want to get your your chocolates or your your lays or um you gotta know that but is there anything that you guys are doing um before then to kind of say goodbye Yeah, for sure. There are a lot of people who they played music in the store over the years and they keep wanting to come in and play kind of a last time here in the store or maybe not the last time. But for now, last time. So next weekend, we're going to have some slack key guitar, not this coming weekend, but the following weekend and just live music in the store and cake. Yummy things to eat and all that kind of stuff. And then on the 20th, we're also going to have more live music with a band that's been here for years and years and years. We're also having big sales. So everything gets more and more on sale as we go. And a lot of people are coming in to get things off the walls that they've seen for 30 years. And they're like, oh my God, this will remind me of home. So those kinds of things are going on sale. And then on the 20th. What we're really going to do then is have, I'm calling it our na'iwi sale. And the o'iwi are your bones. And in Hawaiian culture, your bones are incredibly sacred. When a person passes away, those bones, that's where you have all the mana, all your personal mana is stored. And so you don't want those bones falling into the wrong hands. And so it's really important where they go. And so for me, all the bones of the store, that's the day we're going to let kind of all the bamboo shelving, the tiki bar that we've had in here for a while, for long, for forever. All the bamboo furniture, the big things, those will all go for sale on the 20th. It was, um... Trying to show in some of the videos and pictures from when we were there earlier, Gail. You're watching over and you see David Rose pop up or you saw me pop up. This is our story. We came out a couple weeks ago and you kind of are getting a look inside the store. Thank There's some shots too while we were talking to you where some of your customers were coming in to say goodbye to kind of give them a feel of what the shop's like. If you don't know... Gail's location is right off of I-5, kind of, I would say, more on the Wallingford side, but Gail, correct me if I'm wrong, but kind of in between Wallingford and the U District. you. So they're going to be there until the 15th, or excuse me, the 20th. Today's the 5th. I'm doing my math wrong. But yeah, it's been a week for sure. But yeah, they're still going on. And Gail, I don't know. Well, how could you know? But this is the first time that I've ever had a leg, like an official one. I've never wore one. I think my prom was maybe like... You know, that style of theme, but I've never worn one. So I came into work today and this was sitting here waiting for me. And I thought I'd love to kind of catch up and say hi and see how things are going. So thank you so much for sending this. It's the first time I've ever worn one. It smells good. That's awesome. Yeah, it does. It smells good and it feels good. And then, you know, what you can do is like wear it for a while, have it, feel it, and then go give it to somebody else. That's the way you can just pass the aloha on. You'll run into somebody that you'll get it. You'll feel like, oh, this person needs it more than I do right now. Yeah, and when we spoke, it was just a couple days after I'd been to Hawaii, the first time I'd ever been there. And so that idea of aloha is so real because when you are in Hawaii and everybody's just kind of, I don't know, I don't know how you'd word it, but everyone's friendly, they're laid back, they realize that there's more to life than kind of getting to work Or... Um, the stress of the kind of day. So, you know, to be able to take on that idea, that feeling of Aloha and to give it to people and something that you have done for nearly 30 years at this point, um, such a huge part of the community. I appreciate you, Gail, um, taking some time to talk to us. I'd like to kind of let you talk to everyone. I know you've said goodbye a few times, but just kind of give you this time to let everybody Does anybody know that you guys are still there for the next? Two plus weeks, so before you go, let everybody know everything about the store and you and what you're going to do here. You're going to make me cry again. I'm I can put something else up. I can put the video back up to hide it. starting No, you know what? I mean, it's that Aloha thing. I know I say it over and over again, and it is, yes, it's that feeling of being, it's a relaxed feeling, but it's also a feeling of like just respect for each other and listening to people to speak when they're talking. And I know people know it when they feel it, you know, it's, it's a lovely, respectful, kind. now. I'm taking time for people and that's what everyone has done here at the store back and forth. Customers have been so kind to us. I just can't even. People have been so lovely. I appreciate it so much. And I just hope that we've been able to give back as much to them and all my employees. Holy smokes. Over the years, the best people on the planet have worked here. Thank Just giving their heart and soul to Seattle. And I can't thank them enough either. And all the people back in Hawaii who have helped out. Oh, my gosh. It's taken a village to keep this place going. It's amazing. So, mahalo, everybody. Gail, thanks for taking some time to talk to us. you. Gail, the owner of the Hawaii General Store. They will be open for at least another couple weeks. So, if you haven't ever been there or you've been there a bunch, make sure to stop by. Gail, I appreciate you. All right. Appreciate you so much, AJ. I do. I was going to say something back. And I'm like, you know what? I'm just going to let Gail say it. And then I'm going to, you got me. Appreciate you, Gail.