As part of getting ready for our trip, we have been able to contact some businesses in Oahu. The Honolulu Cookie Company’s Director of Marketing Brandon Suyeoka took some time to answer our questions about the company, its participation in the community, how it fosters creativity and what makes Oahu and Hawaii special.

1. What’s the one thing people shouldn’t miss on Oahu and why? “Honolulu Cookie Company, of course! All kidding aside, Oahu has some of the finest beaches in the world and it would be a shame if you traveled all the way to Oahu and not been to some of the gorgeous beaches we have here like Lanikai or Sunset,” says Suyeoka.

2. What does your business bring to the Oahu community? “Locally, we bring jobs, and we also make sure we give back to our local community in the form of charity,” says Suyeoka.

3. How does your business foster creativity? “We always encourage our employees to chime in with any ideas that they may have. We have creative planning sessions monthly to discuss some of the upcoming projects we have to foster some of this creativity. We also get our suggestions and ideas from our consumers either via social media or just feedback at the retail level,” says Suyeoka.

In 2015, the Honolulu Cookie Company won the Innovative Marketing Award at the HFMA Taste Awards and the 2015 INNOVATE HAWAII Manufacturer of the Year award at the HFMA Taste Awards. In 2017, the company won the INNOVATE HAWAII Award for the Best Chocolate Cookie

4. What makes your business different from others on the island? “It’s really about our people and how we treat each other and our customers. We’ve created a culture here that really represents a team effort and taking care of our customers and providing the service that they deserve,” says Suyeoka.

The company is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and included its retail employees in the celebration.

5. What is the best thing about Hawaii? “I would say the people here in Hawaii. Hawaii is really mixing pot of so many different ethnicities and cultures, all coming together under the spirit of ‘Aloha,’” says Suyeoka.

Founded in 1998, the Honolulu Cookie Factory is known for its distinctive pineapple shapes. The shortbread cookie flavors are inspired by the islands, and founders Keith and Janet Sung strive to bring the “Spirit of Aloha” to all of their locations, including the stores in Guam and Las Vegas. The cookies may also be found at the Disney Polynesian Resort in Orlando, Florida, at Bloomingdale’s locations in New York and California, and at Tommy Bahamas.
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If you can’t make it to any of these locations, you can order them online. The cookies are individually wrapped and individually packed so that they will arrive at your home in one piece.