Menehune Mac Factory Gift Center, Honolulu, Hawaii - The Place for Handcrafted Chocolates and More

As the oldest manufacturer of chocolate-covered macadamia nut candies in Hawaii, Menehune Mac has been in business since 1939. The business was sold to Patrick Arakaki and his family in 1972. During the 1990s, it was briefly owned by a Tokyo-based liquor distributor, Kawami Co., until it was resold to the Arakaki's in 2000. Today, Patrick's son, Neal Arakaki, serves as the company's president.

Under the Arakaki's, Menehune Mac has focused on the production of higher-end candies, suited to the tastes of Japanese tourists. They developed a dark, rich, handmade chocolate in contrast to the lighter milk chocolate versions offered by their competitors. At one point, 90 percent of their sales were focused on Japan and markets of the Far East.

After the events of September 11, 2001, however, Japanese tourism declined in Hawaii and the demand for local chocolates fell sharply. The Arakaki's had to diversify, concentrating their marketing efforts on exports to buyers in the continental U.S., where their products have been well received.

Today, producing some one and a half million to two million pounds of chocolate a year, Menehune Mac ranks among the largest producers of handmade chocolate in the world. The Menehune Mac Factory Gift Center is the focal point of operations in Honolulu, where visitors and members of the local community can experience the art of chocolate making firsthand.

Apart from chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, still a staple of the Menehune Mac Factory, the Gift Center offers cookies, Maui jams and jellies, coffees, teas, nuts and candies that are sugar-free. Items are packaged as gift baskets or party favors, as well individually, and private-label branding is available for larger orders.

Among the most popular items are Chocolate Macadamia Nut Wholes and Halves, priced from $3 to $7 per box of two to eight ounces. The chocolate is said to have an especially creamy texture and a flavor that lingers. Its extra richness comes from heating and mixing the chocolate in small batches, which yields a more complete melt and blend.

Another top-seller contains no chocolate. It is Pineapple Snow, a vanilla confection flavored with pineapple essence and paired with dry roasted Hawaiian macadamia nuts. According to at least one satisfied customer, "This is the best piece of candy I have ever eaten.''

Apart from selling products at the Menehune Mac Factory Gift Center, the Arakaki's allow visitors to watch the chocolate being made as part of a free factory tour. As part of "The Chocolate Experience,'' which takes about 45 minutes, participants are invited to create their own boxes of handmade chocolates. Events are frequently set up to give local residents - and school-age children, in particular - the opportunity to make their own confections, too.

The Menehune Mac Factory Gift Center is located in the Kalihi district at 707-A Waiakamilo Road, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii 96817-4312. It is just about halfway between the Honolulu International Airport and Waikiki. Regular store hours are 8am to 5pm weekdays and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays.