Cafe Pesto
Cafe Pesto is a privately-held, founder-owned full-service restaurant in Hilo, Hawaii, serving wood-fired pizzas, seafood, pasta, and locally-sourced Hawaiian Regional Cuisine to local residents and Island of Hawaii visitors since 1988, with added catering, takeout, delivery, and gift-card channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersHilo, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cafe Pesto does
Cafe Pesto is a privately-held, founder-owned full-service restaurant operating at 308 Kamehameha Ave #101 in Hilo, Hawaii, serving the Island of Hawaii since 1988. The concept originated as a small take-out pizzeria in the harbor town of Kawaihae and relocated on July 10, 1992 to Hilo Bay, where it now occupies the restored S. Hata building (built in 1912, marketed as the "Grande Dame of Hilo"). The restaurant is closely associated with the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement and is led by Founder, Owner, and Chef David Palmer, alongside General Manager Mario Castillo ("Front of House Since the Beginning") and Executive Chef Casey Halpern. The company employs approximately 19 staff.
Cafe Pesto firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cafe Pesto
- Website
- https://cafepesto.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cafe Pesto is a privately-held, founder-owned full-service restaurant in Hilo, Hawaii, serving wood-fired pizzas, seafood, pasta, and locally-sourced Hawaiian Regional Cuisine to local residents and Island of Hawaii visitors since 1988, with added catering, takeout, delivery, and gift-card channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cafe Pesto industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Full-Service Restaurant
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK), All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)
Keywords
Where Cafe Pesto is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hilo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cafe Pesto business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in Restaurant Service: Full-service restaurant offering dine-in experiences with a menu featuring wood-fired pizzas, seafood, pasta, sandwiches, salads, and desserts, along with beverages including wine, cocktails, beer, and espresso
- Takeout and Online Ordering: Customers can order for pickup through Toast Tab platform
- Delivery Service: Delivery orders placed through Express Waiters platform
- Catering Services: Wedding and private event catering services at venues across Hilo and the Island of Hawaii
- Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold through Toast Tab platform for restaurant purchases
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Appetizers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Salads |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sandwiches |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Saffron Risottos |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pastas |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Grilled Specialties |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wood Fired Personal Pizzas |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Desserts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Beverages |
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cafe Pesto product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cafe Pesto is a full-service restaurant operating from a restored 1912 historic building on Hilo Bay, serving a menu of signature wood-fired pizzas, specialty seafood, pastas, risottos, sandwiches, salads, and desserts, along with wine, cocktails, local beer, and espresso. The restaurant also offers takeout and delivery via Toast Tab and Express Waiters, catering for weddings and private events, and digital gift cards.
Product overview
Cafe Pesto is a full-service restaurant offering a unified dining experience centered on Hawaiian Regional Cuisine with Italian influences. The core product is dine-in restaurant services at their Hilo Bay location (established 1992 in the restored S. Hata building from 1912), featuring wood-fired pizzas, specialty seafood, and locally sourced ingredients. Additional service modules include catering for weddings and private events, online ordering via ToastTab, table reservations through Yelp, and gift certificates. The menu is organized into distinct offerings including lunch, dinner, beverages, and desserts, with signature items like Saffron Risottos and Wood-Fired Personal Pizzas forming the culinary identity. Founded in 1988 in Kawaihae, the restaurant has evolved from a small take-out pizzeria to an award-winning establishment associated with Hawaii Regional Cuisine.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Cafe Pesto
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cafe Pesto technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cafe Pesto partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- The Avocado GroupminorMaui-based marketing agency that planned, photographed, designed, and published the Cafe Pesto website. Works to be Hawaii's one-stop shop for business marketing needs.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cafe Pesto competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Roy's Restaurants: Founded by Hawaii Regional Cuisine pioneer Roy Yamaguchi and operating as a multi-location chain; comparable as a fellow Hawaii Regional Cuisine brand with broader geographic reach and a stronger national profile.
Direct peers
- Hilo Bay Cafe: Full-service restaurant located in Hilo serving local community and visitors with a diverse island-inspired menu; directly comparable as a same-geography, same-segment casual-dining operator.
- Ken's House of Pancakes: Long-running Hilo local institution serving residents and visitors with a broad comfort-food menu; comparable as a same-geography, established full-service restaurant with strong local community following.
- Merriman's Hawaii: Big Island fine-dining restaurant and a co-founder of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement; the most direct culinary and conceptual peer to Cafe Pesto given shared Hawaii Regional Cuisine heritage and Big Island footprint.
- Pineapple's Island Fresh Cuisine: Big Island restaurant emphasizing locally sourced island ingredients; comparable in its Hawaii-grown sourcing philosophy and casual full-service dining format.
Regional players
- Alan Wong's Honolulu: Iconic Honolulu fine-dining restaurant and co-founder of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement; comparable as a peer Hawaii Regional Cuisine establishment, though operating on Oahu rather than Big Island.
- Hawaiian Cafe: Hilo-based full-service restaurant serving local and visitor diners with an island-inspired menu; comparable as a same-market casual dining operator serving similar customer segments.
- Bistro at the Maui Tropical Plantation: Maui full-service restaurant emphasizing locally sourced Hawaiian ingredients in a destination setting; comparable as a peer Hawaii-based casual-dining concept serving tourist and local traffic.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cafe Pesto social profiles
Digital presenceCafe Pesto financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cafe Pesto leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cafe Pesto funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cafe Pesto M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cafe Pesto
What does Cafe Pesto do?
Cafe Pesto is a full-service restaurant operating from a restored 1912 historic building on Hilo Bay, serving a menu of signature wood-fired pizzas, specialty seafood, pastas, risottos, sandwiches, salads, and desserts, along with wine, cocktails, local beer, and espresso. The restaurant also offers takeout and delivery via Toast Tab and Express Waiters, catering for weddings and private events, and digital gift cards.
Is Cafe Pesto a public or private company?
Cafe Pesto is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cafe Pesto founded?
Cafe Pesto was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cafe Pesto based?
Cafe Pesto is headquartered in Hilo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cafe Pesto make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Restaurant Service is the primary driver. The others are takeout and Online Ordering, delivery Service, catering Services and gift Cards.
Who are Cafe Pesto's main competitors?
Roy's Restaurants is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Hilo Bay Cafe, Ken's House of Pancakes, Merriman's Hawaii and Pineapple's Island Fresh Cuisine. Regional players are Alan Wong's Honolulu, Hawaiian Cafe and Bistro at the Maui Tropical Plantation.
Does Cafe Pesto have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cafe Pesto.
What industry is Cafe Pesto in?
Cafe Pesto's product category is Full-Service Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAB, Casual Dining Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAK, Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.