Popular Hawaii restaurant facing struggles at Vegas location

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    HI (KITV ) — It’s become an Oahu institution – known for everything from its signature guava chiffon pancakes to its Eggs Benedict, Cinnamon’s started in Kailua 35 years and is now a community staple.

It’s become so popular, they expanded, with a Waikiki location, one in Japan, and 4 years ago – in Las Vegas.

But the pandemic has hit hard both in Hawaii and the 9th island. Just like Hawaii, Nevada also had a shutdown earlier this year, and still has capacity limits.

Alika Nam, who moved to Vegas to launch their location there, says it’s been a struggle. He says they’ve relied on PPP loans to stay afloat. And earlier this week, Cinnamon’s announced on Instagram they now have to close on Wednesdays.

“Now that money is pretty much running out, and if we don’t get another PPP loan, I’m sure if we’ll make it,” Nam says. He says the original Kailua has been their rock even through the shutdown and moving to take out, but the other locations have been more of a struggle.

While both Hawaii and Las Vegas rely on tourism, its impacting the Cinnamon’s locations in different ways. The loss of foot traffic in Waikiki forced them to close the Ilikai location. But now with travel reopening, they’re working to get it make up and running. But because the Vegas location is located away from the Strip in a more suburban part of city, they rely mostly on local customers and loyal supporters, including Vegas’ large community of Hawaii transplants.

“We’re very well established in Hawaii, but in Vegas, we still have a lot of Hawaii people that say ‘oh I didn’t know there was a Cinnamon’s out here,'” Nam says.

It’s why he’s hoping the power of coconut wireless will bring more customers in, and that locals will spread the word to 9th island family and friends to check out a place they can get a taste of home.

“It’s not just the food, it’s the servers and the hostesses, and the whole aloha atmosphere that you get,” he says.

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