Chinatown

The site that used to house Wo Fat Restaurant will be transformed into a club

By Jason Genegabus

VENTURE to the corner of Hotel and Maunakea streets during the day, and you’ll likely see the hustle and bustle of customers shopping at a ground-floor supermarket or grabbing snacks at nearby Sunkyu Bakery.

When Loft Hawaii opens next month, however, this stretch of Hotel Street will take on a new life when the sun goes down.

“We’re super-excited,” said Loft Hawaii owner Titan Burns. “We want to get this place open already.”

Burns and general manager Daniel Gray are spearheading the effort to demolish and renovate the space that formerly housed Wo Fat Restaurant, with the goal of changing it into a nightclub/performance venue that can accommodate about 400 people. The pair gained valuable experience running Sound|House (formerly Detox) on Alakea Street and hope to apply what they have learned at their new club.

“We know what works (and) we know what doesn’t work,” said Gray. “We’re trying to cross over. … Sound|House was more underground, but you want to tap into the mainstream because that’s where the money is.”

Loft Hawaii will adopt a classy, ultralounge style with Asian influences, according to Burns. Sunkyu’s store-front will double as its main entrance at night.

Burns and Gray have secured promoters for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Ara Laylo’s monthly “Enterprise” party will resurface here every first Friday, and she’ll stick around to book hip-hop deejays and indie bands for the rest of the month. DJ I-Chard will bring the reggae vibe to Saturday nights, while house music gets the nod on Sundays during “Casa,” another weekly event that used to call Sound|House home.

Along with a 400-square-foot stage and five industrial AC units, Loft Hawaii will also boast a sushi bar and VIP seating options.

“We’re trying to go with more of a posh, happy theme and not so much of an East Coast, more serious vibe,” Burns said. “During the week we’re going to try and keep it low key and chill, to attract a crowd of regulars.”

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“We know what works (and) we know what doesn’t work. We’re trying to cross over. … Sound|House was more underground, but you want to tap into the mainstream because that’s where the money is.”

Daniel Gray

General manager, Loft Hawaii

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