July 9, 2026
Queens’ MarketPlace feels different this summer, though the change is less about any single opening than the pattern taking shape around them.
Recent restaurants have filled gaps at both ends of the day. Mākeke Fridays has given the week a new sunset gathering point. BikeWorks Beach & Sports has paired that market evening with a free community run. Hula, ‘ukulele, and monthly Kanikapila concerts now create a calendar residents can remember without consulting it every morning.
The larger shift is simple: Queens’ is becoming easier to fold into everyday Waikoloa life. A breakfast meeting, a beach-gear errand, an early pau hana, and a Friday evening with local vendors can each begin at the same familiar address.
Here is how the new rhythm comes together for the rest of summer 2026.
For years, Queens’ MarketPlace has worked well when everyone in the household wanted something different. The newer dining lineup adds a more deliberate reason to choose the center before noon.
Kona Biscuit Company is now open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a scratch-made breakfast and brunch menu centered on biscuits and island ingredients. The menu includes a loco moco biscuit, build-your-own biscuits with choices such as Hāmākua mushrooms, ube cinnamon rolls, lilikoi ricotta pancakes, tropical mimosas, local beer, and Kona coffee.
That range makes the restaurant useful in several resident situations: an early breakfast before errands, a relaxed brunch with visiting friends, or coffee and a biscuit without committing the better part of the morning.
The same space changes character after sunset. The Roost operates as a Hawai‘i Regional steakhouse focused on steaks, island seafood, seasonal produce, and locally sourced greens. It is designed for a slower evening than the daytime room suggests.
Published schedules for The Roost differ across current sources, so confirm its operating nights and reservation availability directly before arranging dinner. That small step is especially sensible during the summer travel season.
The 2026 restaurant additions bring welcome distinction to dinner at Queens’.
Patina, led by Chef Keith Pajinag, was introduced as an American gastropub pairing locally influenced comfort dishes with craft cocktails. Its Queens’ MarketPlace profile emphasizes local and seasonal ingredients, global flavors, shared plates, and a refined but relaxed setting.
Patina fits naturally into the hours between a beach afternoon and an evening program at the Coronation Pavilion. It also gives pau hana at Queens’ a more intentional destination. Current sources do not agree on a single weekly schedule, so check the restaurant’s live hours before heading over.
Sushi HI is another recent addition now operating in the food court. Its fast-casual format includes fresh sushi, poke bowls, build-your-own sushi bowls, and made-to-order items for lunch, dinner, or takeout. The exact opening date varies among published sources, but its place in the current dining lineup is established.
Da Ramen Kind joined the center in 2025, while the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar brought an open-air restaurant and cocktail setting alongside an adjoining retail store. Together, these openings give residents a broader choice between quick counter service and a seated evening.
A practical way to think about the current dining mix is by occasion:
| When you are going | A recent option to consider |
|---|---|
| Early breakfast or brunch | Kona Biscuit Company |
| Quick lunch or takeout | Sushi HI or Da Ramen Kind |
| Pau hana and shared plates | Patina |
| A slower steak and seafood dinner | The Roost |
| Open-air drinks and food | Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar |
This is where the broader change becomes visible. Queens’ can now carry a resident from morning coffee through evening music without asking every visit to feel like a shopping trip.
Mākeke Fridays is the clearest addition to the summer routine. The open-air sunset market runs every Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. through July, August, and September.
The market combines island produce, prepared food, baked goods, artwork, jewelry, skincare, apparel, and live music. Its published vendor roster gives the evening a distinctly local texture. Names include 143 Patisserie, Aree Thai Food, Bear’s Bakery, Bud Boland Pottery, DoughReMi Cookies, Hāmākua Creations, Hawai‘i Tallow Skincare & Hawai‘i Alchemy Apothecary, Honey Vinegar Alchemy, Hula Hands Jam & Jellies, JillAnn’s Caribbean Food, Misma Lani Farms, Paper Crane Soaps, Superbees Kona, Takoyatea, and Waimea Succulents.
Some vendors are scheduled weekly, while participation may occasionally vary. Check the current lineup if there is one maker or food vendor you especially hope to see.
The most useful resident approach is to resist treating Mākeke as an event requiring a full plan. Stop by for produce and something sweet. Meet a friend for an early bite. Walk the stalls before dinner. Let it become part of Friday rather than the sole purpose of the evening.
That ease is strengthened by the BikeWorks Beach & Sports Friday Run Club. The free social 5K begins at 5:30 p.m., follows the Waikoloa coastline, and welcomes all paces.
The overlap creates two natural itineraries:
Neither requires a ticket or an elaborate schedule. That is precisely why Friday may become the most durable part of the new Queens’ routine.
Recent openings explain what has changed physically. The recurring programs explain why residents may find themselves returning more often.
Free hula presentations continue every Monday at 6 p.m. through the summer calendar. The program includes kahiko and modern hula, presenting Hawai‘i’s stories through dance and chant.
This deserves more care than the phrase “resort entertainment” allows. Hula carries history, language, genealogy, and relationship to place. Residents and guests can approach the presentation with attentive respect, then allow dinner to follow rather than making the performance a backdrop to another activity.
Weekly ‘ukulele lessons take place on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at the Coronation Pavilion through September. Instruction is provided by three-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award recipient Kris Fuchigami.
‘Ukulele and sheet music are available on a first-come basis for the first nine participants. Bringing your own instrument removes that uncertainty and makes the lesson easier to incorporate into a regular Wednesday.
The monthly Kanikapila Concert Series offers the summer’s longer-form music evenings, with performances from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Coronation Pavilion.
The confirmed summer schedule is:
The August program has particular connection to place. Kona musician Keoni Thompson blends Hawaiian contemporary music with country-influenced songwriting, slack-key guitar, island reggae, and paniolo country traditions. His work draws inspiration from the ocean, the ‘āina, and everyday life in Hawai‘i.
September brings John Keawe, known for slack-key guitar and vocals. These monthly evenings offer a meaningful reason to stay close to home, gather at the pavilion, and listen with fewer distractions.
The retail and service additions are varied, but several answer practical resident needs.
Snorkel Bob’s was added to the Queens’ directory in January 2026. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers inter-island gear returns. For Waikoloa households, that can simplify a beach morning or help prepare visiting friends without turning equipment pickup into a longer drive.
Rip Curl and the expanded two-unit Oshima Surf & Skate presence add more surf, skate, apparel, and accessory choices. Pacific Skin Institute broadens the center’s service mix.
KoaWood Ranch has a different connection to the values many Hawai‘i Island residents hold close. Its collection includes koa jewelry, home décor, gifts, apparel, and keepsakes. The company states that purchases support native koa conservation and tree planting. For a house gift or a piece chosen to mark an occasion, that stewardship focus offers useful context for what you bring home.
The adjoining Tommy Bahama store rounds out the recent retail additions, though the most meaningful summer change is not measured by the number of new storefronts. It is measured by how many ordinary needs can now be met in one calm circuit through the center.
If you prefer to keep the calendar simple, remember four anchors:
Monday at 6 p.m.: Hula at the Coronation Pavilion
Wednesday at 6 p.m.: ‘Ukulele lesson
Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.: Mākeke Fridays, with the free 5K at 5:30
Third Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m.: Kanikapila Concert Series
Queens’ MarketPlace is open daily at 69-201 Waikoloa Beach Drive. Free parking is available in the front lot, with a larger rear lot accessible from either end of the center. On market and concert evenings, going directly to the rear lot may save a slow circle past the most visible spaces.
Restaurant hours and reservations deserve a final check before you leave home, particularly for Patina and The Roost. Mākeke vendor participation can change from week to week as well.
What is new at Queens’ MarketPlace this summer is not simply a roster of businesses. It is a more complete neighborhood cadence, one that begins with breakfast, gathers energy on Friday, and leaves room for music, movement, and respectful engagement with Hawai‘i’s living cultural practices.
For those of us who care for homes and relationships along the Kona and Kohala coasts, these small routines matter. They are part of how a place becomes familiar, how neighbors cross paths, and how daily life remains connected to community and ‘āina.
When real estate questions arise alongside that life, ʻĀina Luxury Realty is here to offer calm, personal guidance grounded in local context and aloha-led service.
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