Papi’s Ohana has become a breakfast pilgrimage for locals and visitors alike, thanks to its “King David” cinnamon rolls.
When does a cinnamon roll become a sacrament? A sacrament that gets you out of bed before sunrise—and has you standing in line for over an hour, no less? The answer: when it comes out of the ovens at Papi’s Ohana.
Papi’s Ohana is a hole-in-the-wall bakery by day and pizzeria by night, owned by devout bakers and Christians David and Linda Escobar. Located on the main drag of Honokōwai, a small town just north of Kā‘anapali Beach, Papi’s Ohana is a breakfast pilgrimage for locals and visitors alike, thanks to its “King David” cinnamon rolls—a sumptuous creation that takes three days to make and beckons salivating patrons like a pastor summoning their congregation to Sunday church. With its flaky, buttery lamination and a circumference roughly the size of your head, it’s well worth the $10 price tag.
Papi’s Ohana went through many iterations before finding its brick-and-mortar home on Maui’s west side. It began as a humble living room ministry on Wednesday nights for prayer, pastries and fellowship. Then came the idea of a food truck. Then a beachside property in Kīhei. But a chance encounter with a commercial realtor—and a calling to serve the people of Lahaina—motivated David Escobar, a former pastry chef at Grand Wailea, to move his family and plant roots on the West Side. The risk paid off. Papi’s Ohana opened in July 2022 and was an overnight success.
“It was a blessing,” David Escobar said. “As much as I was dreading the drive [to Lahaina], I felt like God wanted me here.”
But just after the bakery’s first anniversary, the Escobars’ celebration darkened with disaster when Lahaina was struck by wildfires on Aug. 8, 2023. Escobar knew he needed to be with his newfound community. The day after the fire, he and his crew snuck through police barricades to the bakery. He said there were people living in the parking lot, walking around in shock. Despite having no electricity, Escobar fired up the gas oven and got to work. That day, Papi’s Ohana served 150 cinnamon rolls.
“We had all these kids coming in,” he said. “I mean, everybody started smelling it. And this whole thing was packed out. And we all held hands and started crying with each other and hugging.”
Co-owner David Escobar calls Papi’s Ohana his ministry.
Today, when the bakery opens at 7 a.m., the line already stretches across the parking lot, curling along Lower Honoapiʻilani Road, at least 75 people deep. Consider it your penance. But don’t be deterred—your saccharine salvation is worth the hour-and-a-half wait. Just be sure to get in line by 9 a.m., or you risk being turned away. Papi’s Ohana usually sells out of cinnamon rolls by 10 a.m. On my last visit, the first person in line said he queued up at 5:25 a.m. He was out the door with his buns by 7:10 a.m.
Once inside the cinnamon roll sanctuary, you’re hit with the sweet, yeasty aroma of a proper bake shop. Alongside its signature rolls are mango-flavored scones dripping with coconut glaze and savory croissants filled with Spam, jalapeño and Swiss cheese. Linda Escobar greets guests with a warm smile behind the cash register, while her husband stands at his pastry pulpit, slathering cream cheese frosting—and blessings—onto each cinnamon roll. Modern Christian worship music plays through the speakers.
David Escobar calls the bakery his ministry. Whether he’s serving a gluten-free guest sneaking a few bites of pizza, a hoard of local keiki chanting “CIN-NA-MON ROLLS!” to their parents’ dismay, or a man who claims Escobar’s smile changed his life, Papi’s Ohana offers a special kind of service for anyone who walks through its doors. You don’t have to be a believer to eat at Papi’s—but you better believe it delivers a bite you’ll never forget.
Papi’s Ohana, Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m. until sold out.
Pizzeria: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 5–9 p.m., Closed Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, (808) 868-2000, 3481 Lower Honoapiʻilani Road, #B102, Lahaina, HI 96761.
