Wow Wow Lemonade Haleiwa Store Grand Opening
2015 has been an exciting time for small businesses in Hawaii. With Tambor Açaí being based here in Hawaii, we’re experiencing firsthand how our island communities are hungry [ or should we say thirsty ] for new things to try out and support. We’re proud to be partnered with some of these businesses, providing them with the purest açaí on the planet, harvested direct from the Brazilian Amazon. One of these businesses is Wow Wow Lemonade. Founded in 2012 by friends Todd Casselberry and Kawika Drummond, by way of Hawaii’s farmers markets and night markets. Since then they’ve opened two locations on Maui, and two on Oahu; one being their most recent on the North Shore of Oahu. We had a chance to catch up and talk story with the guys behind the island grown company and learn more about the Wow Wow Lemonade Haleiwa store grand opening.
Founders Kawika Drummond and Todd Casselberry at their Wahiawa location | Photo: John Hook for Kīkaha Magazine
Founder Kawika Drummond and his wife Natalie, all smiles at their grand opening.
1. Congratulations on Wow Wow Lemonade Haleiwa! What are some of the reasons you chose Haleiwa Town for your third brick and mortar shop?
The North Shore has always been a very special community to us. It’s our backyard and the people we want to impart health to. We have a huge value for the the plantation and farm based history of the town and want to play our role in supporting local farmers and growers. We also wanted to introduce our handcrafted lemonades to the the North Shore community to offer a healthy, locally grown product to refresh the community.
2. How long have açaí bowls been apart of the Wow Wow Lemonade menu?
We have had açaí bowls on our menu since 2014 when we opened our Kihei Lemonade Stand on Maui.
3. We’ve enjoyed your handcrafted lemonades firsthand so we can tell that quality ingredients and taste are obviously important to you. How did this translate into your açaí bowl creations?
Acai bowls honestly were always something WE enjoyed. And with the nature of our brand it just fit to incorporate them into the menu. Plus, we like to be creative in our menu which is why you’ll see some unique signature açaí bowls on our menu. We have the same high standards for our bowl ingredients as we have had with our lemonades. We wanted to provide more local and gourmet versions of your traditional açaí bowls by adding in local artisan custards and healthy, locally grown toppings. We’ve incorporated gourmet breadfruit based custards like chocolate and coffee breadfruit custards, haupia custards, and local poi, all mixed with Tambor Açaí and lots of locally grown fruit. On our Haupia bowl, we top it off with a homemade coconut macaroon cookie.
4. What’s your favorite açaí bowl on the Wow Wow Lemonade menu and what makes it so good?
Our favorite bowls probably vary from person to person. Kawika [ our co-owner ] is Hawaiian, so naturally he loves our Plantation Bowl which incorporates Hawaiian Poi into the mix. A house favorite has also been our Haupia Ono bowl. We craft a haupia custard and hide it on the bottom of the acai bowl, and then top our coconut milk blended açaí mix with local strawberry, blueberry, local apple banana, coconut, local honey, and a homemade macaroon cookie. Yum! Our Haupia Ono Bowl is Todd’s favorite and also our most popular.
5. Why does Wow Wow Lemonade choose to use Tambor Açaí for their bowls?
We personally used Tambor Açaí as our preferred brand for quite a while. But when it came to serving bowls in the stores we tried all the top brands. Honestly, Tambor was the absolute best! The grade A is clear in its taste and consistency that separates it from B and C grade brands. It pairs so well with our signature toppings and blends! We are huge Tambor fans and are proud to serve their açaí products!
Huge thanks to Kawika and Todd for taking the time to talk story with us. We’re excited to see where Wow Wow Lemonade [ and açaí bowls ] will go in the future. For more info or to find out where you can get one of their handcrafted lemonades and açaí bowls, connect with them through the links below.