Overview
808 Sugar HI is a small dessert-and-snack stop in Kīhei on South Maui, not a full-service restaurant. Based on the Google Places record and supporting local coverage, it is currently operating at 2511 South Kīhei Road, across from Kamaʻole II, with a focus on frozen treats, sweets, and a light breakfast-style offering. The place is most relevant to travelers who want an easy stop near the beach corridor rather than a sit-down meal.
Identity is reasonably clear. The name, address, and phone match across the Google record and the business’s own contact page, and local coverage places it in the former 808 Deli space underneath Moose McGillycuddy’s. The main drift to watch is hours: Google’s record shows Sunday closed and a 6:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. schedule on the other days, while other local listings and early writeups have shown slightly different hours. (808sugarhi.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
808 Sugar HI’s lane is best described as sweet treats with some breakfast-adjacent and grab-and-go items. The strongest evidence points to gelato, popsicles, milkshakes, cookies, and custom dessert combinations, with some coffee and light breakfast items also appearing in outside listings and review snippets. The business leans more toward dessert counter than traditional café. (mauinow.com)
- Overall menu style: frozen desserts, sweets, and quick breakfast/snack items rather than a broad lunch or dinner menu. (mauinow.com)
- Notable items with support: Hawai‘i Gelato, including Lahaina Sands and Kona Mudpie; tropical fruit popsicles / 808 Pops Hawai‘i; handmade milkshakes; custom cookie and gelato sandwiches; sundaes; fresh-baked cookies. (mauinow.com)
- Traveler spend expectations: likely a low-to-moderate casual stop, more in the range of dessert-shop pricing than a full meal. The sources do not publish a formal price level, so this is an inference from the menu mix and format. (mauinow.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limits: there is some evidence of dairy-free popsicles and vegan/non-dairy options mentioned in review summaries, which may help travelers with lighter restrictions. That said, support is uneven and the place is not documented as a dedicated allergy-focused kitchen. (mauinow.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
This is a compact, casual stop in a busy South Maui beach area, with convenience as part of the appeal. Maui Now describes it as located underneath Moose McGillycuddy’s and across from Kamaʻole II, which makes it easy to fold into a beach day or an evening stroll in Kīhei. (mauinow.com)
- Service model and seating style: counter-service / quick-stop format; review summaries and directory listings suggest dine-in and takeaway, but it does not read like a sit-down restaurant. (808-sugar-hi.wheree.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: casual, friendly, and family-friendly in tone; secondary summaries describe a welcoming staff and a relaxed vibe, though these are review-derived rather than official claims. (808-sugar-hi.wheree.com)
- Practical features: easy access in central Kīhei; parking is mentioned in third-party listings, and the location is useful for beach traffic. Because this is an inference from the location and access pattern, it should be treated as a traveler convenience note rather than a guaranteed amenity. (808-sugar-hi.wheree.com)
- Best fit: an after-beach dessert stop, a sweet breakfast detour, or a quick treat run. (mauinow.com)
- Weaker fit: travelers looking for a full meal, a long dine-in experience, or a highly polished fine-dining setting. (808-sugar-hi.wheree.com)
History & Background
808 Sugar HI appears to be an extension of the 808 Deli family rather than a brand-new standalone concept. Maui Now says the proprietors of 808 Deli launched 808 Sugar HI in April 2024, partnering with Hawai‘i Gelato after the Lahaina wildfire destroyed Hawai‘i Gelato’s original storefront. The backstory gives the shop a local-business angle and explains why the menu centers on gelato, popsicles, and handmade sweets. (mauinow.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Review patterns lean positive on the core dessert items. The recurring praise is for gelato, especially flavors like lilikoi, caramel, chocolate, banana, Lahaina Sands, and Kona Mudpie; people also mention friendly service and the convenience of the location near the beach corridor. The broader sentiment suggests this is the sort of place people stop at repeatedly when they are in Kīhei. (maps.roadtrippers.com)
Common Gripes
The downsides are present but not overwhelming. The clearest recurring caution is inconsistency outside the core frozen-dessert lane: one review snippet complained about a watery smoothie and an untoasted, cold bagel, which suggests that lighter breakfast items may be less reliable than the gelato. A few secondary summaries also mention that the seating area can feel a bit cold or uninviting and that peak times may require a wait, but these are more lightly supported than the food-quality complaints. (maps.roadtrippers.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Google Places currently shows Mon–Sat 6:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. and Sunday closed; other listings have shown slightly different hours, so verify before going, especially if you are planning an early breakfast stop. (808sugarhi.com)
- The best-supported strengths are gelato and frozen treats; if you want the safest bet, order within that lane rather than assuming the breakfast items will be equally strong. (mauinow.com)
- It is a sensible post-beach or between-errands stop in central Kīhei, especially because the location is right in the South Maui beach strip. (mauinow.com)
- If you are traveling with dietary constraints, ask specifically about dairy-free popsicles or current non-dairy options; the evidence suggests some flexibility, but the menu is not fully documented online. (mauinow.com)
- Because the place is small and casual, expect a quick-service experience, not a long meal. (808-sugar-hi.wheree.com)
Verification Notes
- Official name, phone, and address are consistent across Google Places and the business contact page: 808 Sugar HI, (808) 298-0292, 2511 South Kihei Road, Kihei, Maui, HI 96753. (808sugarhi.com)
- Business status appears operational on Google Places. (808sugarhi.com)
- The main caveat is hours drift: Google, Waze, and other listings do not fully agree on daily opening patterns. (808sugarhi.com)
- No major identity conflict found; the place is consistently tied to the former 808 Deli site underneath Moose McGillycuddy’s in Kīhei. (mauinow.com)
Sources
- Google Places record for 808 Sugar HI —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=7006826730225865517— Retrieved 2026-03-31 — Best for canonical identity anchor, address, phone, hours, status, rating, and category. - 808 Sugar HI contact page —
https://www.808sugarhi.com/contact— Retrieved 2026-03-31 — Best for confirming official name, phone, address, and contact email; note that the site URL returned a 404 when opened directly, so the contact-page record is the more usable proof point. - Maui Now: “808 Sugar HI opens in Kīhei bringing ‘frosty goodness and community aloha’” —
https://mauinow.com/2024/04/29/808-sugar-hi-opens-in-kihei-bringing-frosty-goodness-community-aloha/— Retrieved 2026-04-01 — Most useful for origin story, opening context, partnership with Hawai‘i Gelato and 808 Pops Hawai‘i, and the shop’s placement across from Kamaʻole II. - Maui Nui First business listing for 808 Sugar HI —
https://www.mauinuifirst.com/business/808-sugar-hi— Retrieved 2026-04-01 — Useful for a secondary business-directory cross-check of offerings like gelato, tropical fruit popsicles, milkshakes, cookies, and posted hours. - Roadtrippers / Yelp snippet for 808 Sugar Hi —
https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/kihei-hi/food-drink/808-sugar-hi— Retrieved 2026-04-01 — Useful for lightweight review-pattern signals, especially gelato praise and the occasional complaint about smoothies or bagels; this is secondary evidence and should be weighted below primary sources. - Wheree summary page for 808 Sugar HI —
https://808-sugar-hi.wheree.com/— Retrieved 2026-04-01 — Used cautiously for menu-adjacent and amenity-related review summaries; helpful for recurring positives and caveats, but clearly derivative and lower-confidence than primary or firsthand sources.
