Overview
Penny’s Waikiki Malasadas is a malasada shop in the Royal Hawaiian Center food court in Waikīkī, aimed at visitors who want a quick, dessert-forward stop rather than a full sit-down meal. The business is operational, listed at 2233 Kalākaua Ave, Honolulu, with the same phone number and website across Google and the official site, so the identity match is strong. (pennyswaikiki.com)
For a traveler, the appeal is straightforward: hot, made-to-order malasadas in a very central Waikīkī location, with enough flavor variety to make it worth a detour even if you are already familiar with malasadas elsewhere on Oʻahu. The brand’s own background suggests a small local operation that grew from a food-truck start into a fixed location, which helps explain its casual, grab-and-go setup. (pennyswaikiki.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
This is a malasada-focused bakery counter, not a broad restaurant. The menu centers on traditional sugar-dusted malasadas and filled malasadas, with a few specialty items like beignets. The strongest support in the current evidence is for freshly made, warm pastries with both classic and filled options, rather than for any large savory program. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- Overall menu style: malasadas in boxes of 3, 6, or 12; both traditional and filled versions; a small specialty side menu. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- Notable items: traditional malasadas with Hawaiian white cane sugar, cinnamon sugar, or a specialty sugar of the day; filled malasadas with coconut crème, ube crème, Nutella crème, original custard, or a specialty filling of the day; beignets with powdered sugar. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- Price range / spend: Google’s price level is low, and the menu supports a budget-friendly snack or dessert stop rather than a splurge meal. A box of 3 traditional malasadas is listed at $9.25; a box of 3 filled malasadas at $11.25. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: the menu suggests some flexibility for sugar choice and filling choice, but there is no strong evidence of a deep dietary or allergy-friendly program. This is still a sweet pastry shop first. (pennyswaikiki.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The setting is a food-court counter inside Royal Hawaiian Center, so the experience is more “quick stop in Waikīkī” than destination bakery dining room. That makes it convenient for visitors staying nearby, but it also means the atmosphere is dictated more by mall traffic than by a standalone café setting. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- Service model and seating: counter-service, grab-and-go friendly; food-court seating is available, but the place is best understood as a quick purchase rather than a lingering meal. (tripadvisor.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: casual, mall-based, and likely busiest around peak tourist flow rather than by neighborhood regulars; secondary sources describe it as a hidden-gem type stop inside the center. That “hidden” feel is an inference from repeated location descriptions, not an official claim. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- Practical features: centrally placed in Waikīkī; the official site also lists delivery ordering options through DoorDash and Grubhub. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- Best fit: a morning pastry stop, a vacation snack run, or an easy dessert to take back to a hotel. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- Weaker fit: anyone wanting a sit-down breakfast, a long meal, or a full café menu. (pennyswaikiki.com)
History & Background
The official site gives the clearest background: Penny’s says it began as a stationary food truck in Laie in 2018, expanded with a second truck in Aiea, and later moved into the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikīkī. That makes it a relatively young business with roots in the island’s food-truck and casual snack culture rather than an old-school bakery institution. (pennyswaikiki.com)
The brand’s own framing emphasizes malasadas as shared food for family events and vacations, which fits the tourist-facing role it seems to play now. There is no deeper chef biography or ownership story visible in the current official material. (pennyswaikiki.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Review patterns consistently praise the malasadas themselves: fresh, warm, fluffy, and made to order. Repeated favorites include coconut cream, ube, Nutella, original custard, and other specialty fillings; several travelers also describe the shop as a convenient Waikīkī stop with no long wait or with relatively manageable lines compared with better-known alternatives. These strengths are well-supported across Tripadvisor, Restaurantji-style summaries, and other review snippets. (tripadvisor.com)
Common Gripes
The main downsides are mixed but recurring: some visitors say the pastries can be too crisp or dry rather than soft and airy, some filled versions are described as bland or less distinctive than expected, and a few reviews mention surprise fees or disappointment with service. There is also a practical complaint that the location is a food-court counter with limited seating and a grab-and-go feel. The quality criticism appears real but mixed, not universal. (tripadvisor.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Official and Google hours both currently show 6:00 AM–9:00 PM daily, which makes this a flexible breakfast-to-evening stop. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- Expect counter service and food-court conditions, not a full-service dining room. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- If you want the most classic experience, go for traditional malasadas; if you want the most distinctive flavors, the filled malasadas and rotating “specialty of the day” options are the main draw. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- The location is inside Royal Hawaiian Center on Kalākaua Avenue, so it is easy to combine with shopping or a Waikīkī walk. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- Delivery is advertised through the official site, but the core appeal appears to be fresh, in-person pickup. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- Because it is a dessert/snack specialist, it is a better fit for a quick treat stop than for travelers looking for a full breakfast spread. (pennyswaikiki.com)
Verification Notes
- Official site, Google Places, and current third-party listings all agree on the core identity: Penny’s Waikiki Malasadas, Royal Hawaiian Center / 2233 Kalākaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815, (808) 744-0422. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- The official site’s location page is slightly more specific than Google on the setting, saying the shop is in the food court at the Royal Hawaiian Center. (pennyswaikiki.com)
- No major verification issues found. (pennyswaikiki.com)
Sources
- Penny’s Waikiki Malasadas official menu —
https://pennyswaikiki.com/menu— Retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for the menu structure, fillings, sizes, and posted prices. - Penny’s Waikiki Malasadas official locations page —
https://pennyswaikiki.com/locations— Retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for confirming the Royal Hawaiian Center food-court location, address, and hours posture. - Penny’s Waikiki Malasadas official about page —
https://pennyswaikiki.com/about— Retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for origin story, 2018 founding context, and expansion history. - Penny’s Waikiki Malasadas official home page —
https://pennyswaikiki.com/— Retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for confirming brand presentation and hiring/delivery navigation on the current site. - Tripadvisor listing for Penny’s Waikiki Malasadas —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60982-d13382217-Reviews-Penny_s_Waikiki_Malasadas-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html— Retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for traveler-facing review patterns, location phrasing, and recurring praise/complaints. - Restaurantji listing for Penny’s Waikiki Malasadas —
https://www.restaurantji.com/hi/honolulu/pennys-waikiki-malasadas-/— Retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for summary sentiment, price framing, and commonly mentioned menu items. - MapQuest listing for Penny’s Waikiki Malasadas —
https://www.mapquest.com/us/hawaii/pennys-waikiki-malasadas-380048959— Retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for corroborating address, phone, and some review excerpts about freshness and grab-and-go conditions.
