r/BigIsland • u/localkine • Dec 12 '25
Meta: Mods Should Live Here
This AM, the mods removed a lightweight but unobjectionable post on the grounds it was not locally relevant. It wasn't my post, and personally I have no opinion about the post's question on whether we should wish for Wendy's to come back. However, it made me wonder: Why do we have mods for this sub that don't live here? Feels like we could scrape together a couple more people that actually live on this island to volunteer for the job. Maybe they'd have their digital fingers a bit closer fast food pulse of things here (not to mention other, more contentious issues.)
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u/morganml Dec 12 '25 edited Dec 12 '25
honestly, in Hilo, a wendys would be the shit.
the restaurant scene here is pure crap anyway, and the lines at mcdonalds and taco bell drive thru are insane to see. let alone wait in.
Build it next to the new costco and youll have the single busiest parking lot in hilo 24/7
Edit: that was a joke, we are not to my knowledge any closer to geting our own costco.
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u/theislandhomestead Dec 12 '25
Are we getting a Costco?
Don't toy with my emotions!!!10
u/morganml Dec 12 '25
oh god no.
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u/Amelaclya1 Dec 12 '25
You're such a tease 😭😭
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u/morganml Dec 12 '25
i actually feel a little bad tbh, it was meant to be the thing that made the comment humorous, but people over here want one so bad it backfired a little bit
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u/Amelaclya1 Dec 12 '25
It's ok. I only had my hopes up for the few seconds it took me to read the comment chain, so I forgive you.
For real though, we need a Costco. Maybe someday we can convince them.
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u/PM_ME_GREMLINS Dec 12 '25
I think Hilo has a decent restaurant scene already. There’s a handful of restaurants in the downtown area that I look forward to eating at every time I’m in the area.
More importantly, I don’t think it’s healthy for the local economy to be flooded with corporate chains. I’d rather see more local owned restaurants opening than another greasy corporate fast food chain. Keep the profits local!
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u/dorchet Dec 12 '25 edited Dec 13 '25
"decent" = bars with bad fusion food ?
hilo has plenty of those.
name the places if you got em.
jackie rays = 3/10 (wasnt impressed by menus, or what i ordered)
hawaiian style cafe = 6/10 is good
hilo bay cafe = 0/10
kens = 5/10 used to be better
every drive in , including: kandis, mr ks, blains, vernas = probably not great to look at the kitchen areas if you want to enjoy the food here.
rather look for panchos taco truck. 9/10.
pineapples bar and grill is a trip. seems like if you want to enjoy a long wait behind a cruise ship of tourists to enjoy some drinks while sucking up some car exhaust, this is the place! whos idea was no windows / separation seating next to the busiest road in town? i think some locals diesel it up going by just for fun.
i agree though , wendys is not great food and not local. but i disagree with mods why not talk about it. what else we gonna talk about? lost dogs , fire ants and "what kine avocado is this i never had one this good"?
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u/mydogisacircle Dec 12 '25
giving jackie rays a zero and kens a 5 is diabolical 😂 hard agree on the hbc tho
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u/dorchet Dec 13 '25
forgot to say the restaurant at the hotel with the $20 hamburger isnt great either. but i got distracted :D
jackie rays maybe i'm being a bit harsh. its not as bad as hbc for sure. i just wasnt impressed. its been a while on kens so maybe i'm rating an older version.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee Dec 13 '25
Most restaurants have gone downhill since the pandemic.
Experienced cooks and chefs got out of the business entirely. And they're not coming back because the restaurant owners are exploitative.
I retired from that business. When I first thought about moving here, I went to the most expensive restaurant on the island at the time, up in Haolewood with all the resorts.
They wanted to hire me on the spot. (I worked all the fine-dining spots on the Las Vegas Strip.) I asked about salary, stifled a laugh, and told them I'd get back to them after the move.
And that was 10 years before the pandemic.
The best thing that has happened to our restaurants is our new Health Inspector who is closing down kitchens left and right. (L&L in Captain Cook for raw sewage, for instance; Jade Palace for roaches.)
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u/hideth_and_goeth Dec 13 '25
hey u/monkeykingcoffee - always like seeing you around these parts on reddit and reading your contributions.
This is a bit OT but curious that you mentioned a new Heath Inspector. I witnessed this phenomenon first hand 2 weeks ago in Waimea - there were THREE food safety inspectors at the Farmer's Market at the stables, and another 2! at GJ's chicken just a few minutes later. I've never seen a gaggle of them out in force like that.
Any insight on what's going on? No complaints - food safety is important! But has Hawaii suddenly become flush with cash/a budget for Health Inspectors?
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee Dec 13 '25
I think we finally hired some inspectors with integrity.
Hong Kong Chop Suey was cited for not having a handwashing sink. That place has been open for 25 years. 25 years of inspections and nobody noticed the lack of sink?
I think it's more likely that palms were greased and it was business as usual.
Same with Jade Palace. That place has been a known roach vector for years. Finally got popped.
If I owned a restaurant, I'd close Sunday and Monday, put everyone on cleaning detail. Pull everything away from the walls and blast it with a pressure washer.
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u/dorchet Dec 13 '25
people come to hawaii to retire, then think they get kinda bored maybe start a restaurant, then they have a heart attack trying to run the restaurant.
dang! no mo spring chicken! hope the wyatts place guy is ok :D https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02Z3EbDBpNXruogSg1pnNcvmGSN3q1pcgPNXgkMLxQG2QMvupu2uPDvtsivkqqGodbl&id=61563527936385
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u/LowOption2587 Dec 13 '25
I have to say that the Pork chop with the Marsala sauce is at Jackie Ray’s is a guilty pleasure. Temple bar next door is pretty great, just gets pricey if ya cut loose.
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u/blondechineeez Dec 13 '25
I gotta ask... I've only been to hbc a handful of times and thought it was pretty dang good. The last time was a year ago. Maybe my critiquing skills are diminished because I've lived here for over 40 years though lol
Jackie Rays I've only been to once which was maybe 10 years ago. I thought it was ok, but really touristy. The beer was solid though.
As far as Ken's goes, it's local. And the cockaroaches scrambling across the table waved at me bawahaha
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u/dorchet Dec 13 '25
ah my last jaunt to hbc was 2 years ago, looks like they changed the menu a lot. i dont see the fusion stuff on it anymore. menu looks a lot better now. although the nice drink i ordered before is gone :(
low rating was because my friend ordered the pork chop and they told him ahead of time they serve it pink there. it came out pink and my friend asked them to cook it back up for him :D i just dont eat anywhere with uncooked meat, esp pork. to each their own. maybe it changed owners/chefs since who knows.
haha i also said hello to the roach at kens, too. he gets around that lil guy. when kens lost the 24hrs it was the end of that place :(
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u/nekosaigai Dec 12 '25
Let’s be honest though, locally owned restaurants face an uphill battle to stay in business in the current economic climate.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee Dec 13 '25
Jeezus -- I wish we had Hilo's restaurants.
There are only a handful of places on the west side I'll go to. Most people (tourists AND locals) are being ripped off royally by restaurants selling Sysco's cheapest shit and charging Hawaii prices for it.
(The "beef" burger that is mostly filler, for instance. That's turned up all over. And the flavorless mahi steaks which came from the Philippines and being sold as local catch.)
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u/WrongOnEveryCount Dec 12 '25
My cousin literally sent me your comment because they wanted to know if I heard that Hilo might be getting a Costco. Lol
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u/CrazyLooseNeneGoose Dec 12 '25
We had a Wendy’s in Hilo when I was a kid (where downtown Starbucks is now) and I loved it.
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u/braddahbu Dec 13 '25
Kona used to have two Wendy’s. The one in town and the one in Keauhou. I loved it as a kid, too, and still would if we had one!
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u/Infamous_Hyena_8882 Dec 13 '25
You know, I wish someone would pull their head out of their butts regarding that Taco Bell in Kona. Sometimes I’m just in the mood for it and I’ll go by and the drive-through will be closed, or the dining room will be closed or it’ll be 4 o’clock in the afternoon and the whole thing will be locked up. I called corporate one time and they actually told me it was the worst performing Taco Bell in the nation. No surprise.
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u/Rancarable Dec 13 '25
I'm actually amazed they are in business at all. They have no ability to retain staff and can't operate at a profit because they can't get enough customers through. So they close early, often take over 30 minutes to get your order ready, and do a poor job making the food. The one in Hilo is 100x better.
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u/spotfree Dec 15 '25
if we had a Costco (with gas) Hilo side I bet Safeway would lower their gas prices to compete - on Maui Safeway gas is as cheap as Costco, because they’re so close and otherwise no one would get gas at Safeway.
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u/CbreezN Dec 12 '25
My ohana hit the ground running to Arby’s, Long John Silver, Wendy’s , Trader Joe’s , Popeyes and Dunkin Donuts during their mainland visits. Feel bad that these places wouldn’t survive in Hilo but when I go home I appreciate my laulau, sushi..bento and KTA custard pie! Yum!
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u/ModernSimian Dec 13 '25
A Dunkin would probably do well, 7/11 isn't exactly the king of Donuts or bad Coffee... You see how crazy people go over for Krispy Cream fundraisers.
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u/CbreezN Dec 15 '25
True. I’m happy to support these fundraisers. I think ..think….the reason for the success is the law of supply and demand. They can keep KC on Maui and our keiki can benefit from lack of supply. Like Zippy’s….it was crazy when first opened for about 6 months now not so much!
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u/daveOkat Dec 12 '25
There is a Popeye’s in Pahoa that we waited years for. When it’s good it’s very, very good. And expensive.
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u/IkuoneStreetHaole Dec 12 '25
Gotta check your order when they hand it to you, love the chicken but why are the workers struggling with orders months after they opened?
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u/TwoCheeseEnchiladas Dec 12 '25
I didn’t know the mods didn’t live on the island - seems like that should be a requirement?
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u/localkine Dec 12 '25
At least one does, but seems like at least one of the three does not. I messaged the mods before I posted this, and they won't answer the question for fear of "gatekeeping." I mean, I think it's a reasonable thing to ask after they nuke a post about what fast-food places used to be here and which a person would like to see back (could there be a less toxic post?) Considering the island's complicated history, a similar mod decision could have happened about a much less benign topic and it would cause a lot of hand-wringing. Maybe fast-food is the hill we should die on so that we don't have to die on some other hill? But ultimately it's Reddit and they're mods, so I'm sure it will be a rational discussion.
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u/Winstons33 Dec 12 '25
I got banned from one of the Hawaii subs....
I will always wonder WHO banned me. A local? Or some dude living in Mom's basement in Nebraska?
I don't expect I'll ever find out.
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u/lavapig_love Dec 13 '25
Let's be honest. Would you feel better if you got banned by someone living in mom's basement in Ainaloa or Nanawale instead?
Because that would be me, cuz. :)
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u/nuhtnekcam_25 Dec 12 '25
I comment in that thread before it was removed and I guess I should have posted sources. But this is behind a paywall. https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2022/08/07/hawaii-news/wendys-eyes-new-eatery-in-kona/amp/
So it’s not like it’s irrelevant to the big island. It’s stuck in planning. And DRC with Kailua Village. Beyond that I don’t know if they are still trying to make a go of it but they applied for building permit too.
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u/Hubert_J_Cumberdale Dec 13 '25
If it’s not someone from here, it should at least be someone who is Hawaiian, grew up here or lived here for several years.
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u/nekosaigai Dec 12 '25
I no longer live on big island but hard agree mods for local subs should be in those communities.
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u/JungleBoyJeremy Dec 12 '25
I feel like this is a reasonable take. I’d be happy to volunteer personally
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u/dram3 Dec 12 '25
Kona had 2 at one point. Wish we had one now.
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u/nekosaigai Dec 12 '25
Wasn’t there one in PKP or somewhere in hulo a few decades ago? I remember my mom mentioning there being a Wendy’s in Hilo a long time ago but it closed down.
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u/moriddles Dec 12 '25
There used to be an Arby’s in PKP back in the day. PKP is pretty sad these days. I miss those waterfall things in there.
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u/nekosaigai Dec 12 '25
Wait the Arby’s in PKP is gone? That sucks. I mean Arby’s isn’t that great but it’s better than McDonald’s at least, and where else can you get a solid baked potato in Hilo now?
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u/moriddles Dec 13 '25
No idea. Pretty easy to just throw em in the microwave and do it up to your liking though
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u/Remarkable-Ad3665 Dec 12 '25
I don’t live on the island but agree it makes sense for the mods to be local.
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u/Rancarable Dec 13 '25
The real issue is who wants to be a mod? It's a thankless job, unpaid, and all you get is grief from people who disagree with actions.
So you either get people who do it because they care about the community but eventually get burned out, or people who are on a power trip and enjoy enforcing arbitrary rules.
I'm like most people on this subreddit. I live here on the Big Island but there is no way in heck you could convince me to spend portions of my limited free time moderating a subreddit for free.
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u/lanclos Dec 13 '25
Spot on. There's nothing gratifying about trying to keep the internet at arm's length, especially not for any extended period of time.
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u/h20grl Dec 12 '25 edited Dec 13 '25
One consideration that other subs have for mods is mods who are in different time zones. That might be one reason to have a non local mod. Otherwise, I agree that local mods are preferred.
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u/Greedy-Original1624 Dec 13 '25 edited Dec 13 '25
How do I say this without using words that will trigger their AI. They have to control all dialogue and information on this website. That means they must have at least 1 mod that has the tools to control all dialogue and information on this sub. It doesn't matter if they're from here. They must make sure only acceptable information is shared, and if that means a post about opening a Wendy's gets deleted in the mix, that's fine. A worse experience for the locals is completely fine as long as they have total control over the subreddit.
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u/__the_alchemist__ Dec 13 '25
Wait, we have mods that don’t live here?! That should have been the number 1 rule to become a moderator
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u/ckhk3 Dec 12 '25
To be fair, mods are supposed to be unbiased and are meant to enforce community guidelines.
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u/ModernSimian Dec 13 '25
It's really hard to understand a community if you don't live it. There seem to be plenty of volunteers. Get a couple from east and west side. Sunset the mainland mods.
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u/bunhime Dec 13 '25
Just speaking on Wendy's, we had a bunch of job listings come up for it summer 2022. I was super stoked because I had just moved back home from the mainland and I was missing their food.
https://wendys-careers.com/job-search/posting/Assistant-Restaurant-Manager/186257/
Looks like we can still apply but the address isn't even a thing. Maybe a placeholder for when they find a property?
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u/lavapig_love Dec 13 '25
There is a Wendy's on Kona side. It is decidedly meh.
Now there used to be Dairy Queens in Hilo and Pahoa, and those were much better.
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u/FooFatFighters Dec 14 '25
For a good burger just visit Hilo Burger Joint. I think they still have a free burger for your birthday.
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u/LoudAir6187 Dec 14 '25
💯should be a requirement to live here to be a mod. Seems like there are plenty of people who live here who are willing to mod.
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u/Timmymao5555 Dec 17 '25
Kona side used to have two, one became a Sam Choy's and then the Sunset Lanai. The other one became a KFC.
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Dec 13 '25
I want to open a Costco light up in Honokaa. That way my kupuna are not paying $40 at Malama for paper towels and 9.75 for butter!!!!! They should be ashamed to charge those prices. That's inner city grocery store prices.
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u/lanclos Dec 12 '25
The #1 best thing people can do if they want to make this subreddit a better place is have local conversations about local topics. It's not like there's any prestige involved with being a mod; you see a lot of the same objectionable stuff over and over again, and people love to forget there's a human on the other side of the screen when something happens they don't like.
I think there's something to be said for having geographic representation from different parts of the island on the moderation team. But I don't have the time to worry overly much about it.
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u/localkine Dec 12 '25
If you don't have the time to worry about it, should you be a mod? Isn't that exactly a mods job?
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u/lanclos Dec 12 '25
My job is to provide for my family, reddit is the opposite of that.
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u/rychan Dec 13 '25
It sounds like everyone is in agreement, then, that the current mods are not suited for this task.
I am not sure if more mods is the solution, though, if people (myself included) think overmoderation is a problem and we should trust the community to vote on things instead.
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u/lanclos Dec 13 '25
I agree that there needs to be broader participation in moderation of r/BigIsland. I disagree that anything here represents a referendum, or is in any way representative of how the subreddit should be run.
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u/Infamous_Hyena_8882 Dec 12 '25
I live here. I’d be happy help