“when lava covers the earth, liko lehua is the first new growth to appear”

Liko Lehua was born on Hawaii Island in 1996.

“handcrafted gourmet butter… kissed with aloha”

FOUNDERS

1996

Liko Lehua Butter was created and developed in 1996 by Diane Kaneali’i and her sister, Arleen Eblacas in the cool, quiet hills above Hilo, Hawaii. At first, the business was simply a way to help the two sisters to get to Canada but slowly Liko Lehua began to expand. After a trip to Kahoolawe a few years later, Diane realized that Liko Lehua was more than a way to make ends meet; it was a way for her family and generations to come to prosper, while offering a truly extraordinary product to the islands.

NEW GENERATION

2011

In 2011 Liko Lehua returned to Hilo, Hawaii and into the hands of Diane’s niece, Dawn Kaneali’i. Adding her own zest for community enrichment and green business practices, she now runs a modest facility which can produce between 50 – 100 cases a day. Despite moving across oceans, the idea behind the butter has stayed the same.

SPREADING ALOHA

MAHALO

Liko Lehua continues to make a presence in the jam/jelly/spread market in flavor, market share and consumer appeal. Liko Lehua looks forward to growing into new areas through large distributors and small retail shops alike. Most importantly Liko Lehua looks forward to spreading Aloha across the world one jar at a time.

Mahalo Nui Loa,

Matt and Dawn Kaneali’i

BREAD & BUTTTER

ʻOHANA

Our ʻohana continues to make hand crafted butters using local quality ingredients in small batches. We personally pour, cap and label each jar by hand. Our children are part of the daily process; from hand packing a pallet to greeting you with a hug, honi and smile.

LIKO LEHUA MEDIA RELEASES

HAWAII TRIBUNE HERALD ARTICLE “Liko Lehua Café wins award”

Liko Lehua Café was the top vote-getter, winning the People’s Choice Award at the Rotary Club of South Hilo’s 11th annual Hilo Huli on May 3.

Liko Lehua Café offered delicious crab cakes as its winning entry.

“As one of the many vendors at the 2015 Hilo Huli we feel blessed that so many appreciated our efforts and the food we presented,” said Liko Lehua Café owner Dawn Kanealii.

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BIG ISLAND NOW – “LIKO LEHUA EXPANDS TO PAUAHI LOCATION”

“Comfortable, casual, and good food,” Matt Kleinfelder explains. “We want it to be homey.” Along with his wife, Dawn Kanealii-Kleinfelder, and with help from their ‘ohana, they have opened a new restaurant, Liko Leuha at Pauahi (their other restaurant, Liko Lehua Kaumana, is located at 177 Kaumana Drive).

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HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE “You have to split yourself”

In the five years  since Dawn and her husband, Matthew, took over the company from her auntie, they have built a thriving food empire in Hilo that includes a small takeout restaurant, a larger café, a gourmet Hawaiian fruit butter business and a catering company.

It started with the two of them making fruit butter from 5 p.m. until midnight after their day jobs. “We did that for a year until my husband looked at me one night and said, ‘We either have to stop or something needs to change.’ ”

That’s when Dawn Kanealii-Kleinfelder went full-time with the company.

Here’s how she describes a typical day.

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HAWAII TRIBUNE HERALD ARTICLE “Kuhio Grille, Liko Lehua relocating”

COVID-19 also was a factor in the closing of Liko Lehua, which will move to 177 Kaumana Drive.

Owners Dawn and Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder have been in the process of remodeling the kitchen, which is used to make their lilikoi butter.

They plan to reopen the Kaumana kitchen for takeout and delivery in late July or early August.

“We are looking forward to bringing back some of our employees and revisiting with our favorite customers,” said Dawn Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder.

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SOCAL RESTAURANT SHOW “Show 328, June 15, 2019: Liko Lehua Butters with Matt & Dawn Kanealii-Kleinfelder

Liko Lehua Butters, a line of Hawaii-made (with a splash of Aloha,) gourmet butters flavored with tropical Island fruits, was started by two sisters in 1996. The butters are packed in glass jars and prepared in small batches to maintain strict quality control. The product line is all-natural without any preservatives or additives. Liko Lehua Butters is now under the watchful stewardship of the second generation of the founding Family.

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US SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION: “SBA Annonces Hawaii’s 2018 Top Small Business Winners”

The Family Owned Small Business of the Year Award goes to small business owners who have continued to operate a going concern that is at least 15 years old and has transferred a portion of ownership from one family member to another and integrates family members in a variety of employment roles and opportunities.

  • State of Hawaii: Linda Fernandez, President of Fernandez Entertainment, Inc. ;
  • County of Hawaii: Dawn K.K. Kanealii-Kleinfelder, owner of Liko Lehua, LLC in Hilo;
  • County of Maui: Brian Bowers, President, Artistic Builders Corporation.
  • City & County of Honolulu: Judith Sakamoto and Mike Sakamoto, Jr., owners of Eight Point Distributors, Inc.
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