MNS Ltd./ABC Stores

ABC Stores began as a mom-and-pop store offering food and beverages with a Hawaiian flavor and has expanded to every major Hawaiian island, becoming a destination retailer for tourists and local residents alike. The ABC Store concept has expanded to fresh food and specialty markets, including Island Gourmet Markets, Island Country Markets, Honolua General Store at the Kapalua Resort in Maui and Sueoka Market in Koloa, Kauai.

The chain, operated by MNS Ltd., also has locations in Nevada, Guam and Saipan (in the Northern Mariana Islands).

The Honolulu-based company serves its retail outlets through two distribution centers. Founded by Sidney and Minnie Kosasa, ABC Stores had its start in the 1930s. Sidney grew up working in his parents' grocery store in Honolulu and went on to earn a degree in pharmaceutical services at the University of California at Berkeley in 1942.

In 1949, the Kosasas opened their own drug store known as Thrifty Drugs, and a chain of drug stores followed soon thereafter. On a trip to Miami Beach, Sidney Kosasa watched visitors shopping local convenience stores instead of the high-priced hotel shops. He envisioned that Waikiki would someday be packed with visitors, like Miami Beach, and the ABC concept was born: stores conveniently located for visitors with merchandise sold at fair prices.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2026.