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qmp2017

10 QUEENS’ MARKETPLACE | CELEBRATING 10 YEARS HOME AWAY The people of Hawaii Island don’t keep coming back to Queens’ MarketPlace just for the unique dining and shopping experience, which caters to a customer base as vibrant and diverse as the population of the island itself. Sure, the variety, the authenticity and the aloha spirit of Hawaii’s quintessential shopping center is a big part of why Queens’ MarketPlace continues to thrive 10 years after its inception. But over the last decade, Queens’ MarketPlace has become more than a perfectly manicured, serene landscape that attracts visitors from across the world. It’s become more than the original line of apparel offered at Blue Ginger or the convenient, onestop shopping at Island Gourmet Markets. It’s become more than the high-end dining experience provided by Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar. Over the last 10 years, Queens’ MarketPlace has become more than the sum of its parts. “It’s that sense of place,” said Margo Mau Bunnell, sales and marketing manager for Queens’ MarketPlace. “A home away from home.” Scott Head, vice president of operations for Waikoloa Land Company, explained the foundations upon which Queens’ MarketPlace is built are authenticity, inclusiveness and variety. “When you look at our tenants, they speak to that as well,” he said of the shopping center’s authentic feel. “You have small business operators unique to our shopping center that bring an added-to dimension to create that Hawaiian resort shopping experience.” The layout is tropical, open and inviting. The soft trickle of the water circulating through the koi ponds in the center of Queens’ MarketPlace creates a peaceful aural backdrop underneath the more prominent sounds of young women laughing together as they stroll from shop to shop, or friends chatting over their lunch hours in Starbucks’ outdoor seating section. The faces visible throughout the mall area are as diverse as the storefronts and the wares they offer. “We do have a very balanced array of offerings for visitors and the local community,” explained Head, adding Queens’ MarketPlace has always stressed an appeal to inclusivity meant to mirror the community in which it operates. “The term melting pot is often times overused … but if there’s an example of it anywhere on the planet, it resides here.” And when the stores close for the night, the experience doesn’t end. The vision for Queens’ Marketplace has always been one of variety. Waikoloa Luxury Cinemas, a new movie theater that will be open for business this holiday season, will add another element to that variety. But variety has existed at Queens’ MarketPlace since the beginning, and has helped it remain unique through the years. “We call ourselves a shopping center,” Head explained. “In reality, I think we’re more of an entertainment center than anything, and that’s been one of the key ingredients to our success.” Legendary musical acts, both local and international, have graced the Waikoloa Bowl, including the Beach Boys and Journey. Hawaii THE PRESENT... What we have become FROM HOME


qmp2017
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