Site Plan of the Lower Two Floors of the Royal Hawaiian Center

Apple has opened this first store in a tourist-destination only shopping center.  It is now called the Royal Hawaiian Center as they have dropped the “Shopping” from the name.  Restaurants have been increased and a showroom, Waikiki nei. has been added.

As there is the Ala Moana store a mile and a half Northwest and the Kahala Mall store two and a half miles Northeast, customers will be strictly tourists.  It will provide excellent exposure to a worldwide audience.  A great commitment by Apple. The Apple store has two floors, streetside across an opening from Bebe and next to a LeSportsac.  Escalators on the East end take you to the anchor store, Hilo Hatties.  The first floor will be retail sales space and the second floor office space, inventory storage.  There will be an elevator, but the staircase is strictly employee only.

The Shopping Center is in three sections along Kalakaua Avenue with Apple in the “C” or East building.  With a streetside entrance and a Mall door it will be a very different floor plan than other locations.

Aloha News and photos of the Grand Opening of Apple in Waikiki.

The Royal Hawaiian Center webpage has news, merchant listings, site diagrams and even a connection to early construction photos of the remodeling of the center along with artist renditions.  There is frequent local entertainment at the Royal Grove.

If you like following Apple’s retail expansion and changes, I highly recommend the ifoapplestore website.  All the news about locations and updates.

This is the most Southern store in the US replacing Kahala Mall.  The Sydney Australia store is the most Eastern in the World.  (Ala Moana is the Western most, Glasgow the Northern until Aberdeen opens, with the most Southern now being the new Chadstone, Victoria store near Melbourne Australia, replacing Sydney which replaced Sapporo.)

The Shopping Center is open until 11PM Hawaii time, including holidays, but Apple decided to open from 10 AM to 10 PM.

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Grand Opening 10 AM Friday September 27

Grand Opening                                                .

Friday, September 27, Apple opened the long awaited store in the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki.

At 8: 30 a Hawaiian Blessing took place.  Then three groups of Hula dancers performed.  Each would do two songs and then change outfits as another group was entertaining.  Apple handed out water to those in line and to tourists that stopped to watch.  The traditional employee run and high-five took place during the middle of the hulas.  Music and dance continued until the doors opened at 9:55.  The t-shirts lasted to the end of the line of waiting people.  No other give-a-ways.

At 8: 30 a Hawaiian Blessing took place.  Then three groups of Hula dancers performed.  Each would do two songs and then change outfits as another group was entertaining.  Apple handed out water to those in line and to tourists that stopped to watch.  The traditional employee run and high-fives took place during the middle of the hulas.  Music and dance continued until the doors opened at 9:55.

This opening was delayed several months when the exterior facing had to be replaced.  A pinkish stone was replace by a dark gray lava rock.  Nice looking but obviously not from Hawaii.

A nice open store.  The Genius Bar is along the back, or mall-side wall.  The mall doors split it in to two sides.  Support columns are the only interruptions.  There is a large center area, a post in front of the left side Genius Bar and a post splitting the mall-side doors.  Otherwise, standard Apple floors, ceiling, tables and displays.  The retail area is all on the first floor.  Employee area, offices and support areas are on the second floor.  No consumer access.  As Japanese tourists contribute a large portion of dollars spent in Waikiki, Japanese speaking employees are always on the floor.

For construction photos and last minute delays go to the RHC Construction page.

Construction problems.  On Friday, while installing the stone facing, the front glass was hit.  The outside piece of the double-laminated glass was cracked.  The contractor was there on opening day with his camera phone.  I am sure that photo is going to his insurance company.

And then, shortly after the crowd thinned out from the opening crush, the ceiling started dripping.  Possibly air conditioning condensation or a broken fire sprinkler.

For a Video of the Early Morning Construction, the Blessing and the Opening by Ryan Ozawa Click Here.