LIHU‘E — For the past two weeks, Chyson Aguano and his family, including sister Crista Aguano from Honolulu, have been going nonstop at Kukui Grove Center near the water fountain located close to Longs Drugs.
“I’ve had to go back to get my ice cream,” said Melissa McFerrin-Warrack of the KGC management team. “Of course, it’s so good I couldn’t not have any.”
Milky Cereal Bar opened during the last week in May, and has been pretty much filled with people anxious to try the cereal and ice cream creations cranked out by the kitchen crew in the space that is socially distanced.
The shop is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and, for now, there are no provisions for phone or online ordering — you need to go in person to check it out.
“I got to visit New York in the beginning of 2020, and I was blown away with the whole concept of cereal and ice cream,” Aguano said. “Our family loves ice cream, so it seemed like a great fit.”
Aguano and his family also own Sauced Premium Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water, a line offering chili pepper water in four flavors — original, rosemary, limu kohu and wela no (hot) that was marketed at the farmers’ market at The Shops at Kukui‘ula, and other local outlets such as Pono Market, Konohiki Seafoods, Fish Express, The Pineapple Store, Zensai Kaua‘i and Brick Oven Pizza in Kalaheo.
Because of the volume flowing out the doors at Milky Cereal Bar, the chili pepper water went online at saucedkauai.com in order for the ice cream to be served up while it’s freezer cold.
“We wanted to open a business that we could do as a family and involve our children,” Aguano said. “Our kids are getting older, and we felt that we could show them and teach them the business world. Little did we know they are teaching us about marketing and customer service.”
McFerrin-Warrack said that, since opening, she’s seen the family hard at work servicing customers.
“They’re working very hard,” the specialty leasing agent for KGC said. “But when you look at them, they’re all smiling and enjoying themselves.”
Crista Aguano is part of the ownership and leadership team at Milky Cereal Bar.
“We decided to open on Kaua‘i instead of on O‘ahu because this is the island we’re from,” Chyson Aguano said. “We wanted to open a business for the local community that would offer the people of Kaua‘i a fun place to go to.”
“If you love ice cream like we do, Milky Cereal Bar is the place for kids, adults and families, where you can be as creative with your favorite cereals mixed with ice cream,” Chyson Aguano said. “We would also like to thank the island of Kaua‘i for the abundance of support and love shown us since we opened the doors.”
Milky Cereal Bar plans to launch a flavor of the month in the near future.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
