Midnight Bear Breads’ soft opening in Lawai this week quietly created something rare on Kauai: a two-mile stretch of highway with three bakeries competing for the same visitors. From Lawai to Kalaheo, Midnight Bear, Kalaheo Cafe, and The Right Slice now sit almost back-to-back on the only road west, each with its own loyal following and its own story.
It all happened at the peak of Thanksgiving week, when pie panic reached its annual high and visitors arriving on the island scrambled for whatever dessert was left. Suddenly, one of Kauai’s busiest corridors isn’t just a route to Waimea Canyon. It’s a bakery gauntlet.
And that’s what makes this week different. Three bakeries, two miles, one holiday crush — and one brand-new shop that changed the equation overnight.
Midnight Bear Breads moves to Lawai.
Midnight Bear’s move from Hanapepe (and the farmers market) to Lawai is more than an address change. For anyone heading west, this location is dramatically easier to reach. Instead of turning into town, you stay right on the road to the canyon, spot the 7-11, and pull in. Convenience is the entire point.
The soft opening on Wednesday was intentionally restrained, with a long line at 8 am, and the owner was happy that so many showed up. For day one, there was the pre-ordered pumpkin pie offering and a large selection of sourdough breads and pastries meant to ease the team into holiday traffic.
They have always been known for strong sourdough and San Francisco-style croissants from their Hanapepe days, so visitors who only knew them through reputation now have direct access along the island’s main westbound route. This is going to be dangerous given how good it is.
Their departure from Hanapepe will be felt, especially at Hanapepe Art Night, but shifting to Lawai puts them in front of far more people, both visitors and residents. The move trades charm for high visibility and easy parking, and the bakery’s core following will almost certainly grow with the constant flow of rental cars heading toward the canyon.
Midnight Bear Breads is at 2-3687 Kaumualii Highway, Lawai, and will serve breakfast and lunch when fully opened. Phone: (808) 335-2893
The Right Slice context.
The Right Slice has long been the familiar pie stop for visitors driving toward Waimea Canyon. Many travelers make it part of their routine, especially those staying in Poipu or Kalaheo and planning Thanksgiving or other meals in vacation rentals. Over time, it has become a known waypoint before heading up the mountain, too.
Right Slice remains a major force during Thanksgiving week, often drawing lines and selling out early. They sell a large selection of sweet and savory flavors and vegetarian options. You can purchase whole pies or slices. We bought a green bean casserole pie for two, available frozen or fresh. It was tasty and heated nicely in our oven. Right Slice has a clear historical advantage of being an established player for 15 years.
The Right Slice is at 2-2459 Kaumualiʻi Hwy in Kalaheo. Phone: (808) 212-5798. Open Monday-Friday from 11 am to 6 pm, and weekends from 10 am to 5 pm.
Kalaheo Cafe has been an anchor for baked goods and food since 1994.
It is primarily a sit-down restaurant with a bakery case instead of a dedicated bakery, but the baked goods have their own story and following and still matter in the mix.
The sticky bun is the unquestionable star of their baking. It is a sweet dough with a caramel glaze, with a light texture, beautiful color, and solid, nuanced flavors. We have known these for years, and they still hold up. It is an entirely different approach than Midnight Bear’s laminated pastries and sourdough, but well executed and enduring in its own lane.
The bakery scope is small, maybe half a dozen items in the case alongside the full breakfast and lunch menu. Their strength is consistency on a few items rather than variety.
On this highway, Kalaheo Cafe is the sit-down breakfast and coffee stop, The Right Slice is the pie stop, and now Midnight Bear is the full artisan bakery, which is also becoming a full-on breakfast and lunch spot soon. Three different models share the same road, and all are within about two miles.
Kalaheo Cafe is at 2-2560 Kaumualii Highway in Kalaheo. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 7 to 2. They are closed on Monday and Tuesday. Phone number is (808) 332-5858.
Thanksgiving stakes rise on Kauai.
Thanksgiving pie panic is real on Kauai. Families show up from the mainland, drop luggage at a vacation rental, and suddenly need dessert. Poipu visitors drive west, hoping something is left. Locals who do not want to bake juggle work, family, and the hunt for anything not yet sold out. And yes, plenty of people still give up and grab the giant Costco pies in Lihue when everything else is gone.
The new Lawai opening added a twist because it happened during the busiest dessert week of the year. The question is no longer whether people will stop. Thousands of rental cars move through this corridor daily. Anyone already in the car, kids in the back, and groceries in the trunk, will pull in wherever parking looks easiest.
It is smart to call ahead. Some years see bakeries limit quantities or run out entirely before holidays. Hours may shift, and items may disappear.
For visitors planning a canyon day, having three bakeries within minutes of each other could make things easier, or it may create its own traffic knot depending on the timing.
What visitors need to know.
Midnight Bear’s new location is immediately beside the Lawai 7-11. If you are heading west, you cannot miss it. Parking should be straightforward during non-peak times, though holiday crowds will test the layout.
The Right Slice sits farther toward Kalaheo. During busy periods, cars often line the shoulder, so visitors should expect a short wait or a quick loop for parking. Be careful and don’t jaywalk here if you park on the other side of the highway (use the crosswalk).
Sitting between both is Kalaheo Cafe and Coffee Company. It’s at the entrance to Kalaheo with a white fence and plenty of parking.
Happy Thanksgiving from Beat of Hawaii to you.
Lead Photo Credit: Midnight Bear Breads. Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie.
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Sure these bakeries are on the islands but where’s the authenticity? No coconut cream pie. No pineapple pie. No maybe mango-pineapple pie. No macadamia nut anything. No Kona coffee chocolate pie. Nothing drizzled in Hawaiian coconut syrup or even coconut sprinkles? What makes these bakeries any more special than any bakery in the US. Nothing. I just wish the ingredients were special to only the islands and found to be nowhere else. That is what makes IMO a bakery real special.
Hi Rob and Jeff. Happy gobble gobble or oink oink whether you select turkey or kalua pork. I suppose there is tofu turkey if vegetarian is your choice. What ever Happy Thanksgiving and make the best of it Hawaiian style.
Don, thank you and same to you! We’re doing our best to keep it Hawaiian style this week between work, travel, and a good bit of holiday food. Hope yours is just as good wherever you’re celebrating.
Aloha. R/J
I’ll miss Midnight Bear in Hanapepe, but the Lawai location sounds like a better fit for the bakery. I’m a San Francisco Bay Area native and I’ve never heard the term “San Francisco-style croissant” before. Intriguing.
Hi LauraW.
Something like Tartine Bakery.
Aloha.
I have been buying pies from Sandy at The Right Slice for more than 20 years. In addition to dessert pies, she makes wonderful pot pies for dinnertime.
On my way from Princeville to the Talk Story Bookstore I had intended to stop at the Midnight Bear Cafe in Hanapepe to have a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch only to discover they had moved. I was a little disappointed. Oh well, Hanapepe’s loss is Lawai’s gain.