Honolulu Cookie Company Utilizes Square to Power Its Expanding Multi-Location Retail Operation

The beloved Hawaii-based cookie brand is leveraging Square’s unified commerce platform across locations in Hawaii, Nevada, and Guam, with a first-of-its-kind experiential flagship opening July 2026

Square today announced that Honolulu Cookie Company, the iconic Hawaii-based brand celebrating 28 years in business, is continuing to expand its partnership with Square, which began in 2023. Honolulu Cookie Company is utilizing Square to scale their company footprint, which includes a new flagship store opening July 2026. Known for its signature pineapple-shaped shortbread cookies featuring island-inspired flavors, Honolulu Cookie Company is running Square across 14 locations spanning Oahu, Maui, Las Vegas, and Guam. Square’s platform supports the brand’s retail operations today and is positioned as the foundation for its next chapter of growth.

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Photo courtesy of Honolulu Cookie Company

From a Single Shop to a Beloved Hawaii Brand

Honolulu Cookie Company was founded in 1998 by Keith and Janet Sung. A ceramics artist by training, Keith sought an opportunity to craft a unique locally made product: a shortbread cookie in the shape of a pineapple, the international symbol of hospitality. Through trial, error, and an entrepreneurial spirit that continues to define the brand, the company grew from a single small shop to a brand of global reach, including 14 physical locations across Hawaii, Las Vegas, and Guam, ongoing expansions with global wholesale distribution, and a pop-up presence across Japan. Even as the brand scales, every cookie sold in-store remains baked in Hawaii with care. From hand-dipping their chocolate-dipped cookies to hand-placing pieces of fruit in their Hawaii-inspired flavored cookies, Honolulu Cookie Company's commitment to craftsmanship exhibits itself as a constant pillar in production and service.

"As we grew across markets, we needed a partner who could help us expand our footprint and modernize our service, while still preserving our commitment to sharing aloha spirit with our guests," said Julie Plant, Vice President of Retail at Honolulu Cookie Company. "Square’s platform adapts with us and protects what makes us special. What matters most to us is providing a seamless experience from the time they enter our store through check out. Square for Retail gives us the confidence that it will be, whether that’s in Oahu, Las Vegas, or wherever we go next."

A Commerce Platform Built for High-Volume, High-Touch Retail

Before Square, Honolulu Cookie Company relied on a legacy POS system with a French-language interface, physical loyalty punch cards, and a reporting environment that pulled data one store at a time – a process that could take 30 minutes and still return errors. As the brand expanded, the gap between what the business needed and what the former system could deliver became untenable.

Honolulu Cookie Company selected Square based on the speed and reliability of its checkout experience, the intuitive interface for a diverse retail staff, integrated loyalty features, and the platform’s ability to handle the brand’s transaction volume reliably. For a retailer that serves a high proportion of international tourists and experiences volume peaks across tourist and holiday seasons, dependability was non-negotiable.

Square for Retail, Loyalty, and the Power of Real-Time Data

Honolulu Cookie Company deploys Square for Retail and the Square Register across its locations, paired with Square Loyalty, which marks a significant upgrade from its previous reliance on physical punch cards. The brand also uses the Square Customer Directory extensively, enabling the team to understand guest preferences, see purchase histories, and better tailor their experiences. On the operations side, Square’s reporting tools have transformed how leadership accesses data and makes more informed decisions. Demographic insights – including customer country of origin – were previously accessible to only four stores at a time, and required significant manual effort.

Honolulu Cookie Company also utilizes Square’s partner ecosystem to seamlessly integrate with other internal platforms that support their other areas of business. Integrations with the likes of Yellow Dog Inventory allow for increased inventory management efficiencies across locations, giving the operations team deep visibility into product movement and SKU interactions across a high-volume assortment.

A Foundation for the Next Generation of Honolulu Cookie Company

Honolulu Cookie Company’s next major milestone is the opening of their new Honolulu Cookie Company: the Aloha Experience store in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring exciting new additions including expanded ‘Build Your Own Box’ product offerings, an interactive chocolate-dipping experience, a virtual peek into their bakery operations, and fun photo zones throughout the store.

As Honolulu Cookie Company opens their new store concept that is three times the size of a standard location, partnering with Square has eased their ability to add and open new locations. What previously required months of lead time and extensive coordination now moves with less friction, giving the brand the agility to grow, whether that involves adding a permanent store or deploying the Square Handheld for a pop-up event.

"Honolulu Cookie Company has built a brand that people travel to experience – and that kind of connection doesn’t happen by accident," said Nick Molnar, Global Head of Sales and Marketing at Block. "From high-volume checkout to real-time reporting and customer data, Square gives their team the operational foundation to deepen their customer connections at every location, every day."

To learn more about how Square powers retail businesses, visit squareup.com/retail.

About Honolulu Cookie Company

Honolulu Cookie Company is known for its iconic pineapple-shaped shortbread cookies. Family-owned since 1998, founders Keith and Janet Sung created a recipe for cookies that embody Hawaiian hospitality, using premium ingredients and Hawaii-inspired flavors. Each cookie is individually wrapped and hand-packed into beautiful packaging, perfect for gifting and sharing aloha. Learn more: honolulucookie.com.

About Square

Square helps businesses turn transactions into connections and businesses into neighborhood favorites.

In 2009, Square started with a simple invention – the first mobile card reader, which changed how the entire financial system thinks about small businesses. Square has since grown into a global business platform helping millions of sellers of all sizes participate and thrive in their communities. Whether independently run or a global chain, Square understands that sellers succeed when they have the freedom to focus on the experiences that keep customers coming back. From point of sale and payments to online commerce, staff management, cash flow tools, and more, Square brings together the tools sellers need to run and grow on one intelligent platform. For more information, visit squareup.com.

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