Waimea-based custom cowboy hat company returns to Oʻahu this week

The Uihā Hat Bar pop-up shop is back on Oʻahu this week for those wanting a personalized cowboy hat with more accents, colors and brandings that play homage to Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island.

The pop-up, now in its second week, will run Thursday, June 12 to Saturday, June 14. It is located at Ka Makana Aliʻi in the former restaurant space between Panda Express and EARL.

What can you expect while shopping? Tons of decisions (in the best way)! First, pick your base. Hats come in all colors, shapes and sizes, and if you need an alteration, they can fix it on the spot either with padding or by shaping it. Next, pick out your accessories – ribbon, brooches, feathers, dried flowers, etc. – and select custom brandings from letters to Hawaiian and western symbols.

“Our pop-up at Ka Makana Aliʻi was our first time bringing the Uihā Hat Bar to Oʻahu, and honestly, I was nervous. I didn’t know how people would respond or if the heart of Waimea would resonate here,” owner Chaz Lindsey Kamauu told Aloha State Daily. “But after our first weekend, I was reminded that people deeply crave connection. Spending time with each guest, we listened to their stories, learned what matters most to them and helped create hats that speak to their legacy.

“It affirmed something I’ve always believed: People love legacy just as much as I do, and they’re hungry for meaningful experiences that allow them to express it. These moments will always make the stress of running this business worth it.” 

Kamauu, who is also the designer of clothing brand, Hula Tease, launched The Uihā Hat Bar in November with his wife, Hiwalei. The pair caters to special events and has held pop-ups so far this year at various rodeos and the Merrie Monarch Festival on Big Island. Later this summer, they plan to visit Kauaʻi.

“We have a shop in Waimea at Parker Ranch Center, and you can also shop us online, but for Oʻahu, we wanted to offer something a little different. We brought in hats all the colors of the rainbow,” Hiwalei told ASD.

She added that about 80% of all sales have been local. The hats are sourced from Texas. “We’re not ranchers, riders or ropers. We just aim to serve the Waimea and Isle communities. It all comes from the heart.”

Hiwalei, who works as a nurse, said she met Kamauu through dancing hula. “As a small business, we’re trying our best and learning as we go. Every hat is different, with unique characteristics, and everyone looks good in a cowboy hat.”

According to her, Kamauu learned to shape cowboy hats from a ranch family in Colorado, and later taught her and their parents, who also help with the business.

The Kamauu’s settled in Waimea three years ago, Chaz said. “I wasn’t raised in the paniolo lifestyle of my family, the Lindsey ‘ohana, but the moment that I laid down roots here, I felt a deep responsibility to tend to our legacy.”

“The Uihā Hat Bar is my way of answering that call. It’s named after my great-great-grandfather, Albert Uihā Lindsey, the legendary cowboy foreman of Parker Ranch and a 2024 Paniolo Hall of Fame inductee,” he said. “This legacy is what makes our brand unique. Every day I am led and inspired by my loved ones and their stories I grew up hearing in hopes of making my ancestors proud.”

Now, his focus is “on deepening our roots in Waimea and continuing to refine the experience we offer through the Uihā Hat Bar.”

“I’m excited about weaving my clothing brand, Hula Tease, more intentionally into the hat bar experience and expanding the ways we tell stories through design, culture, and legacy and honoring not just where we come from but who I come from.”

CONTACT
The Uihā Hat Bar by Hula Tease
Chaz Lindsey Kamauu, owner
Address: Parker Ranch Center: 67-1185 Māmalahoa Hwy., Kamuela
Business hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; closed on Sundays
Note: The Parker Ranch Center location is closed from June 12-15.
Website: uihahatbar.com
Instagram: @uiha.hatbar
TikTok: Uiha Hat Bar

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.