Paul Kosasa - President & CEO, ABC Stores
Paul Kosasa is the president and CEO of ABC Stores. The Kosasa family’s history in the retail business traces back to his grandparents, Morita and Mitsue Kosasa, who were Japanese immigrants and opened their first retail store, M. Kosasa Shoten, in Kaimuki in 1917. Their son Sidney and his wife Minnie founded the convenience store Thrifty Drugs in 1949 in Kaimuki after returning home to Hawaii once World War II ended. When on a trip to Miami Beach they observed the bustling tourist destination and predicted that Waikiki Beach had the same potential. The first ABC outlet opened in Waikiki Beach in 1964 and was given the simple name because it was one that everyone could remember. They stocked the store full of the items a visitor would need – food and grocery items, cosmetics, toiletries, souvenirs and much more. The Kosasas’ prediction came true as Waikiki grew, and so did the proliferation of ABC Stores.
Paul has been working in his family’s business since he was just nine years old and was handed the reigns of the company in 1999. Throughout the decades, Paul has been responsible for making sure his family business survived with changing times. He worked alongside his parents, who both possessed a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit as he learned the ins and outs of the business. Since then, ABC Stores has grown from a “mom and pop store” to one of the most recognizable and beloved brands in Hawai‘i’s tourism industry. Founded on convenience and service, today ABC Stores can be found on every major island in the state, Guam, Saipan and Las Vegas. Pre-pandemic there were more than 75 locations and the company employed over 1,900 associates. ABC Stores in that time expanded to include Island Gourmet Markets, Island Country Markets, Honolua Store, Sueoka Market, Lineage Restaurant, and Dukes Lane Market and Eatery to include Basalt Restaurant.
Paul’s significant contributions to the visitor industry and the community as a business leader, volunteer and philanthropist have earned him numerous awards over the years including Pacific Business News’ Most Influential Businesses in 2013, the Retail Merchants of Hawaii’s Retailer of the Year in 2003 and 2009 and the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Authority’s Kahiau Award in 2018. In 2013, the Hawaii Food Industry Association inducted Paul's parents, Sidney & Minnie Kosasa, into their Hall of Fame.
Paul attended ‘Iolani School and holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He is one of the most active business leaders in Waikiki and is involved in more than a dozen organizations and serves in numerous board and chair positions, including Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, Waikiki Business Improvement District Association, Kuakini Health Systems, Hawaii Community Foundation and Central Pacific Bank. He also serves as the president of the Kosasa Foundation, a private foundation that provides grants for not-for-profit organizations. He is married to Lisa Kosasa and has two children.