Did you know that Hawaii’s first and oldest potato chip company was founded in Hilo, Hawaii? Neither did I. But that’s not surprising considering how few people – even locals – know about Atebara’s and their famous chips.
You know those Maui Onion chips everyone – myself included – loves so much? You know the ones… the ones in the purple bag that Hawaiian Airlines serves aboard their flights? Yeah, they’re not local. The company that makes them, Hawaiian Brand, is headquartered in Washington State and is a subsidiary of Utz. Even the Maui Style brand of potato chips with the onion riding a surfboard on the bag is a Frito-Lay brand. So, who, then, actually makes chips in Hawaii?
There are several companies that make their chips in Hawaii. The most well-known of these is probably the Hawaiian Chip Company in Honolulu. But one of my favorites is Atebara’s.
What is Atebara’s
Founded in 1936 by Raymond Atebara as the Atebara Chip Factory, Atebara’s specialized in making, well, potato chips. However, with the onset of World War II, potatoes became scarce, and the company was forced to pivot. Instead of abandoning chipmaking, Atebara’s chose to use locally grown taro to make chips. I’m not sure if they were the first in Hawaii to do this, but it’s a good bet that they were – Taro Ko on Kauai didn’t come into being until 1985, while Hawaiian Chip Co has been around since the early 2000s, and Kona Chips was established sometime in the 1940s.
Today, Atebara’s continues to make standard potato chips and taro chips, in addition to sweet potato and ulu (breadfruit) varieties. They’re also now part of a larger company called Hawaii Island Gourmet, which manufactures cookies, macadamia nuts, and chocolates that you can buy at the Hilo factory store, too.
Factory Store
Speaking of the factory store, if you’re in Hilo, you can pay them a visit to shop in person. Ironically, their location at 717 Manono Street is a block over from Big Island Candies and right next to a newish strip mall containing a bunch of eateries. Still, the humble little shop is one of the best places to pick up gifts in Hilo – at least in my opinion. Plus, their hours aren’t too bad, either, as they’re open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 3 pm. We stopped by on a Monday and were a bit surprised that they were open, as it was Memorial Day weekend.
My Favorites
Honestly, of all the chips offered by Atebara’s, the one that I consistently buy is their furikake potato chips. To me, these are the best. The roasty, toasty, thick-cut potato chips pair beautifully with the slightly oceanic, nutty, umami-packed furikake. It’s like eating Hurricane Popcorn in chip form. The garlic ginger sweet potato chips were pretty good, too, though I could’ve done without the sugar in the coating. In fact, many of their chip flavors include sugar, which seems unnecessary to me. The sweet Maui onion one is particularly jarring, as it’s a sugary sweet onion flavor.
That said, the stuff they get right, like the furikake potato chip, is exceptional. Of course, don’t take my word for it. They have a lot of sweet flavors, and the fact that they continue to offer them must mean people are buying them.
Final Thoughts
It’s worth noting that if you can’t make it to the factory store, you can find Atebara’s chips in most KTA Stores on the Big Island. They also sell their chips on their website and offer free shipping for orders of $85 or more. And trust me, it isn’t hard to spend $85! A tiny 4 oz bag of their furikake chips will cost you $8.50, while the large 1 lb bag will set you back $22.50. However, regardless of how you shop, it’s important to note that items frequently go out of stock, especially at KTA Stores.