Rick and Dominique Story Short Version

Rick Quinette from Pittsburgh, PA arrived in Honolulu on December 28, 1994. Like a lot of people, he ran away from the cold of the East Coast for the warm sands of Hawaii.

In his bags Rick carried his first Hot Dog Stand that he built, hoping to use it in Hawaii.

But Rick started to work at the YMCA in Oahu instead. In a direct flight from Geneva, Switzerland to Honolulu, Dominique Quinette Paupe arrived on May 7, 1995. She didn’t know anyone in Hawaii and didn’t speak English. After a month of surfing and fun in Waikiki

Dominique volunteered at a summer camp for handicapped at the YMCA. It’s there that Rick and Dominique met. Seven months later, January 21, 1996, Rick and Dominique united themselves for the better and the worse.

During the next 5 years, Rick worked as and Aircraft mechanic and Dominique opened a Massage Therapy office. Rick never used his hot dog stand but built a Lemonade Stand using a Red Bug Volkswagen that he remodeled entirely. On the week-end Rick and Dominique sold Fresh Squeezed Lemonade on the beach. One day the producers of Bay Watch Hawaii discovered their delicious Lemonade and hired them to serve the crew and the actors…

But it’s was not what they really wanted. So they packed up again and moved to Kauai for a change of life.

They live on the beach, until they knew that they wanted to do. Three months of Paradise-a peaceful beach, quiet evenings around the fire, ocean sounds, and the stars for light, they finally found the time to enjoy moments together and figure out what they will do with the rest of their life.

During those long and quiet evenings, they asked themselves what they really like to do what was their passion and how they could realize their dreams. Rick loved to work with wood , and Dominique loved to paint.

They found a small rundown place that with vision, ability, a lot of energy, where able to turn into a nice little Grill and Gallery.

The idea was to have a shop for Rick (he became the Wood Doctor) and Dominique had her Gallery and Lemonade, so they can paid their rent. In the property was an enormous Mango Tree that start to gave them an incredible amount of mangoes. They didn’t want them to be lost, so every evening Rick and Dominique peeled mangoes, until a second freezer was necessary, and then a third one. Their customers start to ask for something to eat along with the lemonade, so Rick came back with his old love of HOT DOGS.

Honestly, Dominique was not too thrilled with the idea in the beginning, unless she could find something different, something Hawaiian Style. Finally the mangoes that they peeled for months start to look really interesting. Dominique decide to make some experimentation in her little kitchen and came up with the recipe that you know now. She included all the tropical fruits she could put her hands on, and created a Garlic Lemon Secret Sauce , while Rick built the first little Puka Dog stand and the Puka Toaster.

In May, 2002, they opened their new shop in the Poipu Village Shopping Center. Poipu is a hot spot for vacationers and executive business travelers.

Noah Kaimana born November 25 2006 in Honolulu first grandson of Rick and Dominique Quinette.

From Sole proprietor, they become not long time ago: Puka’Ilio Inc., a corporation of the State of Hawaii and the rest, they say is History !!