One year after opening its doors in Kapaʻa, Nāmaka Restaurant N Bar is celebrating a milestone shaped by challenges and a determination to keep moving forward.
The restaurant’s name comes from Hawaiian mythology. Nāmaka is the older sister of Pele and is associated with the ocean. The restaurant was created to evoke the movement and openness of water.
“As the oldest of five girls, I thought it was a fitting name to honor a place I love,” said Aurora Rosin, a single mom and owner of the restaurant.
Rosin used her background in fine art and installation to create many of the restaurant’s design elements, including pieces made from reclaimed materials found on Kauaʻi.
While the restaurant can be easy to miss, tucked at the back of the Kauaʻi Village Shopping Center in Kapaʻa, it still has been able to establish a clientele through locally inspired cuisine, a tropical ambiance, live music and happy hour.
Nāmaka’s menu has evolved during its first year, with her locally inspired dishes continuing to change in response to customer feedback and available ingredients.
One of the restaurant’s most popular dishes has been its bone marrow, which she said has attracted diners from across the island. She is also considering introducing brunch, though the timing will depend on customer demand and the restaurant’s ability to staff and operate during additional hours.
Namaka Restaurant N Bar- Namaka’s menu and ingredients shift with the seasons. (Photo Credit: Namaka Restaurant N Bar)
- Namaka sources all its ingredients fresh from local Kauaʻi farmers. (Namaka Restaurant N Bar)
- Nāmaka Restaurant N Bar is located at the back of the Kauaʻi Village Shopping Center in Kapaʻa (Xiomara Yamileth/ Kauaʻi Now)
But the restaurant’s first year also has come with setbacks.
Rosin said she recently confronted internal theft that put the business at risk. She said members of her management were stealing from the restaurant, but it took time to identify what was happening and understand the impact on the business.
“I thought my business wasn’t working, but it was,” Rosin said. “I just was being robbed blind.”
She implemented a service charge for about a week in an effort to help the business weather the financial strain.
She said the experience was particularly difficult because she felt unable to publicly explain the circumstances behind the restaurant’s financial struggles.
“I couldn’t share with anybody the struggles that I’m having and why I’ve had to try and stabilize the business,” Rosin said.
She has operated her own businesses for about 30 years and has worked in organic and globally inspired cuisine. Her previous clientele in California has included celebrities such as Beyoncé, Naomi Campbell, Martha Stewart, Christie Brinkley and Missy Elliott, she said.
Her long-standing relationships with Kauaʻi farmers and fishermen are also part of the foundation she hopes to build at Nāmaka.
She cited Moloaʻa Organica, Vitality Farm and Heaven on Earth, a flower business started by a former catering colleague who was inspired by the flowers she used in her food.
Her interest in locally sourced food has been a passion for three decades. Incorporating more local products into a restaurant, however, presents different challenges as business fluctuates.
“My dream has always been to be a place that can use as much locally sourced product as possible,” she said. “I’m not anywhere near that at this phase with the restaurant, but getting closer every day.”
Beyond food, she sees Nāmaka as a place where young people can gain skills and experience.
As the oldest of five sisters and a mother, she said she has long dedicated time to young people and hopes the restaurant can become a place where they can learn skills that extend beyond a career in hospitality.
“If youʻre a teen and youʻre hungry, come see me,” Rosin said.
Her goal is to give young workers experience in kitchens and restaurants while teaching practical skills they can carry throughout their lives.
She also is exploring providing a platform for young musicians on Thursday nights. She has begun speaking with teachers at local high schools about the idea. Along with the possibility of Sunday brunch.
For Rosin, the restaurant represents more than a new business venture. It is the culmination of decades of work and a decision to create a place where food, art, employment and community could intersect.
“This restaurant was a lifetime of work, and I decided it was time to feed the community, stabilize my daughter, and give my daughter a place to work, a place to have joy, and a place to get food,” she said.
She acknowledges that operating a restaurant in public comes with criticism and scrutiny, particularly for a new business still finding its footing.
“The bumps in the road are kind of natural for a new business,” she said.
Now, she said, the goal is stability. “I’m a single mom trying to pull off something that is nearly impossible, and I welcome the community to come have a meal and a good time.”
Her hope is that customers will see Nāmaka as a place where they can experience food with a tropical influence, local ingredients and global inspiration in an environment filled with local wood, art and aloha.
For the restaurant’s second year, she said the focus is simple: “Continue learning, stabilize the business and move closer to the vision that brought Nāmaka to Kapaʻa in the first place.”
“I think if people want to try some tropically elevated, locally inspired gourmet comfort world cuisine,” she said. “I hope they’ll come in and have a good experience.”
Click here to inquire about current job openings at Nāmaka Restaurant N Bar.
