Tiki's Grill & Bar in Waikiki is riding the ube craze with two new menu items, a neutral-to-positive bit of local business news for Honolulu diners and the restaurant.

• The bar added an ube piña colada made with pineapple juice, coconut cream, rum, and a Big Island-made ube syrup, in both alcoholic and kid-friendly versions.
• The kitchen added an ube cheesecake on a graham crust with brownie soil and a torched sugar top.
• The restaurant is leaning on local suppliers for the syrup, a selling point as ube goes mainstream on menus nationwide.
• Tiki's is pushing value to draw crowds: three hours of free valet parking, three live bands a day, a late-night happy hour, and a New York steak deal that comes with a free lobster tail.

Outlook: Expect more Waikiki restaurants to add ube dishes and drinks as the trend keeps growing, with Tiki's using local sourcing and late-night deals to stand out.