×
×
homepage logo

Hula Grill team member releases book to support Maui wildfire victims

By Staff | Nov 20, 2023

Tiana Pante is the author and illustrator of “Kimoʻs Hula Pie Adventure.”

KA’ANAPALI — Hula Grill Server Tiana Pante has written and illustrated a children’s book titled “Kimo’s Hula Pie Adventure,” which is now available for purchase at all T S Restaurants locations across Hawaii and California.

All proceeds from book sales will be donated to T S Restaurants’ Legacy of Aloha Foundation to support fellow employees impacted by the Maui wildfires.

The story takes readers on an adventure around Maui and pays a heartfelt tribute to the first T S Restaurants location, Kimo’s Maui, one of the many establishments lost in the fire.

Hula Grill Ka’anapali in Whalers Village will hold a book reading and signing with Pante on Saturday, Dec. 16, at noon.

Pante was born and raised in Temecula, California, and moved to Maui eight years ago. Shortly after relocating to the island, she began working as a server at Hula Grill Ka’anapali and has been with T S Restaurants ever since.

She has had a long and exciting journey with the company, where she met her husband and spent much of her first pregnancy.

After working at Hula Grill Ka’anapali for several years, Pante decided she wanted to write a children’s book about T S Restaurants’ iconic Hula Pie. Inspired by artists across the islands, she learned to draw online.

When the wildfires ravaged through Lāhaina in August, the book was still being developed. Pante and T S Restaurants quickly decided that they would donate all the proceeds from book sales to those who lost everything during the catastrophic event.

The book can be found at the following restaurants: Duke’s, Hula Grill, Keoki’s Paradise and Leilani’s on the Beach in Hawai’i; and Jake’s del Mar and Sunnyside Restaurant & Lodge in California.

For more information on the book reading and signing or to make a reservation, visit www.hulagrillkaanapali.com.