Need to know
Area
Kailua + Honolulu
Description
Banán only sells one thing… banana soft serve. So why are people so obsessed? For starters, once you mix that soft serve with flavors like chocolate, lilikoi, mango, turmeric or acai and top it with fresh fruit and coconut, you’ve got a no-sugar-added, refreshing snack. Perfect for a warm Hawaii day, and not as super sweet as your typical acai bowl.
Here’s how it works. You pick a cup, bowl, or very popular papaya bowl (basically a papaya half, with the seeds scooped out - both delicious and very photogenic). Then you pick whether you want straight up banana soft serve, or if you want one of the flavored ones (think acai, chocolate, passion fruit, or whatever other concoction they’re featuring that day). Then come the toppings… sliced mango, lychee, their homemade mac nut honey butter, slide mango, crispy quinoa, chocolate shavings… we could go on and on. The flavors and combos change pretty regularly, so there’s always something new to try.
And if you’re not sure where to start, pick from one of the 9 combos they’re featuring. You can’t go wrong with the flavor combinations.
Covid Specific
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Curbside Pickup is available at Kailua and University. 1) Order and pay via phone or online, 2) Park in designated areas, 3) Call to let them know you've arrived.
Website
Online Ordering
Contact Info
Hours
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Day - day pm to pm after 10 spaces
Location 1: Waikiki Beach Shack
2301 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
(in a beach access between The Cheesecake Factory and Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort)
808-200-1640
Hours
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Daily ▭ 11am - 7pm
Location 2: Kailua
609 Kailua Rd
Kailua, HI 96734
(in between Whole Foods and Maui Brewing Co.)
808-341-3912
Hours
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Daily ▭ 10am - 7pm
Location 3: University
1810 University Ave
Honolulu, HI 96822
(across the street from University of Hawaii Manoa on the corner of University Ave and Metcalf St.)
808-517-3072
Hours
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Daily ▭ 10am - 6pm
Shop
Price
$ - $$
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Cups and Bowls: ~$4 - $14
Nearby
Waikiki
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Duke’s Waikiki — 1 min walk
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International Marketplace — 2 min walk
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Maui Brewing Co. Waikiki — 2 min walk
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Waikiki Beach — 2 min walk
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Tim Ho Wan — 4 min walk
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Musubi Cafe IYASUME — 6 min walk
Kailua
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Whole Foods Market — 1 min walk
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Maui Brewing Co. Kailua — 1 min walk
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Kailua Beach Park — 5 min drive
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The Beet Box Cafe — 6 min walk
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Cinnamon’s — 7 min walk
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Lanikai Pillbox Hike — 6 min drive
University
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University of Hawaii — 4 min walk
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Foodland Farms at Ala Moana — 12 min drive
Banana soft serve blended with flavors like lilikoi or acai. Instagrammable papaya boats. Ingredients are locally grown and all waste goes to nearby farms to feed animals.
Banán
ACAI BOWLS
Good to know
PHOTOS
@banan
Other people's pics
TRY THE...
Heads up that flavors and toppings rotate often, so these may or may not be there when you go...
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Mac Nut Honey Butter (they make it themselves and also sell it in jars)
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Locals Only Bowl
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Papaya Bowl (This is just the bowl. You’ll still choose what goes in it.)
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Lilikoi (Passion Fruit) twist with Banana
TIPS + TRICKS
University location
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There’s a parking lot adjacent to the shop, but it’s very small. Maybe 10 or so stalls.
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They have outdoor seating, but it’s nothing fancy.
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Inside, they’ve painted cool designs on some of the walls that make for great pictures. Just look at Instagram.
Waikiki location
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There’s no seating here. It’s more of a grab n’ go beach shack situation. But you’re right by the beach, so…
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This spot is down a walkway lined with surfboards, making a great photo op.
All locations
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You can pick up a jar of their mac nut honey butter at their stores, but they also sell it online. It’s some of the best in Hawaii.
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Expect limited time and seasonal flavors like activated charcoal and tons of others.
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The papaya boat is a regular (and probably the most Instagrammable thing on the menu), but occasionally you’ll find others on the menu, like mango, or a pineapple yacht.
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You can have up to 2 flavors, no matter what size cup you get. They can either swirl the flavors or do one on top of the other.
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Not sure which flavor to try? Ask for a sample.
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They regularly rotate through different flavors, but it’s a pretty safe bet that acai will be on the menu.
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Look for the sign that tells you which local farm different ingredients come from.
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Their acai bowls are popular. Know that they’re not as super sweet and the acai flavor is a little more subtle than your typical acai bowl (because it’s blended with banana). They’re constantly rotating through flavors, but acai is usually a sure bet.
FYI
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Everything's dairy free.
DID YOU KNOW?
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Banan was started by four friends who met in high school.
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In 2014, they bought a food truck for $2000 and took it to the Pipemasters where they made their first dollar.
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They donate all their food waste to local farmers to feed their animals. It ends up being about 1000 gallons of banana peels, papaya skins, and pineapple crowns a week.
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They’re all about building community among their employees. They have a tradition of doing beach cleanups, volunteering at local farms, silent disco parties, and bass booming dance parties. They also close up shop once a year to host an all day retreat.
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There’s also a Banán in Osaka, Japan. It opened in 2018.
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They started a Kickstarter campaign to fund the opening of their first brick and mortar shop in 2016.
Last Updated 5 / 15 / 21
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