Hawaii seems to have it all. Year round warm weather, a gorgeous ocean, beautiful beaches, high-end hotels, incredible shopping, tropical fruits, unique eateries… I could go on. It’s hard to think of something that Hawaii DOESN’T has. So for fun, we posted this question on our Facebook page for fans to answer: “What Hawaii DOESN'T have; We don't have Ikea in Hawai'i. We also don't have a JC Penny or TGI Fridays. Up until recently we didn't have Bath & Body Works! Is there anything we DON'T have in Hawai'i that you wish we did have?”

While I like the idea of NOT having an Ikea, JC Penny or TGI Fridays, there is certain things I DO wish Hawaii had. And our fans had some interesting responses as well. Aside from the overwhelming amount of people that responded to the question saying “me, I am the one thing that is missing from Hawaii!’ there was also a lot of other good ideas too. Here are a few of our favorites:

Lou Nakapalau said, “A bridge from California to Hawaii.” We like this, because while it wouldn’t be environmentally or economically sound, it sure would make seeing our friends and family back on the mainland easier!

Dina Georgiou, Audrey Nabor, David Nash, Nick Green, Linda LaMont Luedtke and Donna Wong Kyono all said a Trader Joe’s would be a good addition to Hawaii. I totally agree! The only things we have in Hawaii that semi resemble a T.J.’s is Whole Wallet (whoops I mean Whole Foods) and Down to Earth. But these two natural food stores are very expensive, and Trader Joe’s is committed to saving money themselves to save their customers money.

They don’t charge a suppliers fee for stocking items on their shelves (like so many other grocers do), they buy direct from suppliers whenever possible and bargain hard, and they buy in volume and contract early to get the best prices. Okay, I’ll end my love affair rant for Trader Joe’s. Moving on…

Another personal favorite that was mentioned from our Facebook fans was In-N-Out Burger, the beloved burger joint of California. While Hawaii has its own unique burger restaurants like Teddy’s Bigger Burger (island-wide), Seven Brothers (in Laie) and Kua Aina (island-wide), I have to agree that there is many hot days I could really use an In-N-Out milkshake!

Some of the other mentions included Red Robin, Togos, Lane Bryant, Kohls, Bev Mo, 99 cent stores, Dunkin’ Donuts, Olive Garden, Applebee’s, Sonic, White Castle, IKEA, and the Australian spread Vegemite (never tried that stuff but I heard it’s gross). Anyways, we thought it was interesting to find out what visitors coming to Hawaii missed most, and if you ask me, sounds like most responses were focused around the comfort foods they’re leaving behind when traveling to Hawaii!

You know what that means? Break away from your comfort zone and experience the new, delicious and exotic flavors that Hawaii has to offer! We actually have many blog posts about this topic, so if you want to learn more about the foods and flavors of these Islands, check out our Hawaii Vacation Blog  Or, check out our exclusive Hawaii Aloha Food Plate Tour if you’re visiting Oahu anytime soon. We’ve got a great experience for all you foodies out there, and it’s curated by Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race winner Lanai Tabura. It’s a great tour that introduces you to the authentic flavors of Hawaii, complete with plenty local experiences and tons of incredible foods!