MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- A $400,000 renovation to Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill will yield a brand new Recreation Center for E-5 and below Marines and Sailors stationed aboard MCB Hawaii beginning Dec. 17.
Attached to the year-old Kahuna's, the new Recreation Center will feature many amenities including pool tables, a movie theater, computer stations, pay phones, Starbucks Coffee, video games and a new headquarters for the Single Marine and Sailor Program.
The new theater will seat as many as 20 people at a time, and show current movies like those at the base theater. Current video games will complement big screen TVs and X-Box and Playstation 2 video game stations. Sixteen Internet-ready computers will also be available for use, and the center plans to hold many pool tournaments on its new tables.
"The feedback from SM&SP called for a place where they could get away and relax, without having to deal with the whole sports bar attitude that Kahuna's provides," said Alexis Swenson, manager of the Enlisted Club,
The new recreation center will be an alcohol-free facility, according to Swenson, to provide a laid-back atmosphere to Recreation Center patrons. The center is filled with furniture to fit its new look and attitude, such as large comfortable chairs and beanbags, already awaiting patrons.
The center will hold its grand opening at 10 am on Dec. 17 with a ceremony. Hours of operation for the new center will be Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.