HONOLULU (KHON2) -- It will take many years for Lahaina to rebuild after the wildfires ravaged the historic town. While many chose to stay, others chose to leave for a chance at a fresh start.
Motley Adovas and Danielle Soriano are chefs and co-owners of "Merienda," a Filipino fusion food truck they recently opened in Pearl City.
"Cooking in general is helping me move forward," Adovas explained. "I'm seeing a brighter future, and I love cooking."
Recapturing that joy and hope hasn't been easy after losing almost everything they own.
Both Adovas and Soriano's homes were burned to the ground in the Lahaina wildfires in August 2023.
"It happened so fast that we only had a matter of time to take some of our important documents and two of our cars," Adovas explained. "It was probably the scariest thing that had happened in my entire life."
The weeks following the blaze were surreal.
"Everything was just so crazy, and we didn't know what to do," Adovas said.
The pain and emotion of it all still so raw.
"It was very traumatic," Soriano added and her eyes welled-up with tears.
Their food truck Merienda Maui survived the fire, but they needed to focus on getting back on their feet.
"The first thing we thought about first is where we're going to stay." Soriano said.
After three weeks of cramming into hotel rooms, and no sign of things getting better, Adovas knew something had to give.
"I got to get out of here. I got to get out of here and take care of my family first," he said.
So, he convinced his family to move to Oahu.
"Let's just move out for now get a breather, get a fresh start," he explained. "It's going to be tough for everyone, but I feel like it was for the better."
Soriano also decided to come. And they recently found a new home for Merienda in Honolulu.
"We feel the love and support from the community in Oahu," Soriano said. "It's a long way to go but I think it's a good start."
For Adovas, reopening Merienda has given him a renewed lease on life.
"Cooking for me is comforting," he explained. "It gives me like a warm hug after a long day. The food that I create, the food that my family creates it brings you comfort."
That is something he is eager to share.
He said Maui will always be his home and he hopes to one day return, but for now, he said he is where he needs to be.
Merienda is located in the parking lot at Pearl Ridge Center by the old Sears. They are open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.