Little Snack Shop

Snacktime in Kaneohe, Hawaii...Somehow, food tastes better when someone else makes it. I CAN make spam musubi, sandwiches, and breakfast... however, it's inconvenient for me to go grocery shopping, prep the items, do the cooking, and wash dishes. I just want to eat and go to sleep after my midnight shift!That's why Little Snack Shop in Kaneohe is perfect for me. Located next to a laundromat across the street from Windward Mall, there's free parking right in front and it's on my way home from work! The only drawback is that it's next to The Clubhouse... haha! Be careful in this industrial neighborhood! LOL!Inside, the shop is neat and tidy. There are a lot of beverages in the refrigerator and some homemade sandwiches. The hot food is in a warmer next to the cash register and some bentos, musubi, and pork hash are ready for takeout. On the shelves are cookies, candies, snacks, and some convenience products and canned goods. I heard that there is a new owner. The older Asian lady wasn't there. Instead, there was a younger gal. She was on the phone and was able to ring me up while holding the phone between her ear and shoulder! Haha! That's a skill!Anyway, I got a spam musubi and a breakfast bento. I really liked this simple comfort food breakfast and it gave me enough food coma to fall asleep and have some good rest! Thank goodness!

This is an excerpt taken from my blog. . .I was so disgusted I devoted an entire blog post to describing why The Little Snack Shop sucks. . .Conveniently located next door to the laundromat is The Little Snack Shop. The first few times I ventured to the hole-in-the-wall convenience store, they were closed, even though according to the posted hours they were supposed to be open. Whatever. I could easily drive down the street to Aloha Gas Station for a drink. I always gave the store the benefit of the doubt, figuring it was a small family operation. But then they crossed me. Three times.Reason #1 - No Change For YouOne day, I went to do laundry and the change machine wasn't working. At that time there was only one change machine in the laundromat. I didn't have any change on me or in my car. I called the laundromat's posted numbers and reached their voice mail and answering machine. It was getting late, and if I didn't do laundry soon, there wouldn't be enough sunlight to dry my clothes for work the next day. I went next door to The Little Snack Shop and was relieved they were open. The lady inside was pleasant enough, greeting me when I entered. I asked her if I could get change since the machine next door wasn't working. She said no and to contact the owner of the laundromat. Her reaction was understandable, because maybe she didn't have a lot of change and couldn't risk giving away her change to all the laundromat patrons. I told her I would buy a snack, and chose two $0.99 bags of sunflower seeds. I brought them to the register and took out a $5 bill. The woman looked at the sunflower seeds and said she couldn't give me change. I told her I was completely willing to purchase a snack. She shook her head and said that she wouldn't sell me the sunflower seeds because I was only buying it to get change. I asked her if she was serious. She said yes and took the bags of sunflower seeds and went to return them to the rack. Oh my.Reason #2 - Yesterday's Paper Is Just As Good As Today's PaperThe second time I visited The Little Snack Shop, I wanted to get a Sunday newspaper. I can't remember if it was for the sales, coupons or a specific article, but when I entered the store, the lady looked up from reading her Sunday paper and smiled. She asked if I needed any help and I asked her for a Sunday paper. She said, "We don't sell the Sunday paper." I said, "But you're reading one." She replied, "This is the newspaper for the store. We have Saturday's paper, still." At this point, I was over the conversation and said, "That's okay." As I turned to leave, the lady said, "It's only from yesterday." Like I was being picky or something. I didn't answer and as I exited the store she called out, "You should try Longs." Great. So super helpful.Reason #3 - They Have Dibs on ParkingJust today, when I went to do laundry, the parking lot was pretty full. The spaces in front of The Little Snack Shop were open so I pulled into one of the empty stalls. After I got out of the car and was opening the rear driver's side door to retrieve my laundry, I saw the lady from The Little Snack Shop in her car behind me, motioning me to leave. I pointed to the stall next to me and she shook her head. I pointed to the other full stalls and she motioned again for me to leave. Mind you The Little Snack Shop has a reserved stall on the other side of the parking lot, literally like 10 yards away.Sure, I had a choice and could have stayed in the spot, but that wouldn't have been very nice. So I pulled out and drove away to a different laundromat and vowed to write a scathing, I-Would-Give-It-Zero-Stars-If-Possible-Review on Yelp. As I was driving away, I noticed that she had parked so she was taking up the last two spaces in the parking lot. Wow.Terrible on so many levels.

I love this place!! Its very convenient, right next to my favorite laundromat in Kaneohe. And Aunty Gayle is always happy, every time I come in!!!

Gayle is the sweetest, most generous woman I know. As well as one of the hardest working people. This lady works 7 days a week. As for Courtney T's comments.... REALLY?? What kind of entitlement issues are you suffering from exactly??? There is a sign on the door that clearly states "NO CHANGE FOR THE LAUNDRYMAT". The parking stalls are marked clear enough, so why would you think you can change all the rules to suit your own needs? As for the Sunday paper, Gayle buys her own, but doesn't sell the Sunday paper cuz she aint there on Sunday!!! Geez Courtney... it's pathetic that you would take to Yelp to attack a hard-working woman who works VERY hard for little reward, and then you whine and say horrible things cuz YOU can't follow the same rules everyone else does. You should be ashamed of yourself!!!

Gayle is so nice and cheery! I bought a sandwich today, which was the best sandwich I've had in a long time. Simple and delicious!

awesome place for grindz. good owners. need a quick bite while on the go. stop in to get some ono grindz.

Ignore the reviews by the punks. The owner is friendly and knows all of her regular customers by name. She's been in business here for more than 5 years and for good reason. Her breakfasts and lunches are homemade and made with love. Super cheap cigarettes, lots of snacks and drinks to choose from. The store accepts EBT and credit cards.