Sale Pepe Pizzeria e Cucina has reopened in Lahaina, becoming the first restaurant destroyed in the 2023 fire zone to fully rebuild and resume operations in Lahainatown. The 2026 reopening follows years of debris removal, permitting, and interim operations at other Maui locations.
- Sale Pepe is reported to be the first restaurant destroyed within the Lahaina burn zone to fully rebuild and reopen on its original footprint.
- The reopening comes nearly three years after the August 2023 wildfires leveled central Lahaina, with permitting and infrastructure repairs shaping the lengthy timeline.
- During the rebuilding period, owners operated a fast-casual offshoot, Via by Sale Pepe, at Whalers Village in Kaanapali to maintain a West Maui presence.
- The return of a functioning restaurant to the burn zone signals growing commercial confidence in Lahaina’s long-term recovery and walkability.
- The reopening adds to a slowly expanding list of businesses returning to Lahaina’s commercial core as reconstruction continues across the area.
Source: Thetraveler
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