A relaxing place to eat and unwind
A wrap is a hybrid of a sandwich and salad that borrows inspiration, form, and function from the burrito. It is one of my favorite things to eat—a true foodie chameleon that can have any combination of ingredients inside. South Maui has an eatery dedicated to just that, called That’s A Wrap, started by restaurant industry folks Gina Dello and Josh McElmury.
That’s A Wrap owners Gina Dello and Josh McElmury in their cozy cafe located right across the street from the beach in South Kīhei. Photo by Darris Hurst
“I was a craft bartender by trade, and started a long career managing some very successful restaurants, and Josh had a great career in fine dining,” said Dello. “After both working hard driving other peoples’ restaurants we decided to see what we could do together. So, on a whim, Josh bought me a food truck.”
Like most food trucks, they were pretty mobile in the beginning, trying locations in Central and South Maui. The Maui food truck scene was just getting going, and there weren’t as many food truck parks and locations developed as there are now. That’s A Wrap really got their foothold when Maui Brewing Company opened up in Kīhei, and did not have their restaurant up and running.
“At first we participated in some of the Fourth Friday events and did as many catering jobs as we could,” said Dello. “For a while we teamed up with a couple other food trucks in Waikapū where we did a pretty good lunch business, and we learned a lot working alongside those guys. Our first big opportunity came when we were invited to be one of the food trucks at the Maui Brewing Company. At the time they did not have a restaurant of their own so they would allow one truck at a time to park on the property to feed their guests. It was a win-win situation for the trucks and the Brew Company. We built our brand and gained a lot of loyal customers there, so when the Brew Co. announced they would be opening a restaurant and all the food trucks had to leave, we felt confident that opening a brick and mortar store was the best thing for us.”
The GG’s Reuben Wrap with roast turkey, housemade beet kraut, and Russian dill dressing. Photo by Darris Hurst
That’s A Wrap is located in Dolphin Plaza, across from the Kamaole beach park. You can dine in their cozy climate controlled cafe, or outside alfresco on the sidewalk tables, or take it to go and walk over to the park. The cafe has comfortable seats, cool decor, and great music.
“We wanted to create a clean, relaxing vibe where folks can come and unwind and eat, healthy, fresh food without cellphone gabbing,” said Dello. “We feel lucky that we found the location that we did, being that we’re right across the street from such a beautiful beach. And it’s warm and sunny almost every day of the year. This part of Maui is special.”
The cafe menu centers around fresh and healthy offerings: a variety of wraps, buddha bowls, and vegan treats. They have an eye catching instagram (@thats.a.wrap.maui) where they post gorgeous photos of their latest makes.
“We specialize in making simple comfort food into healthy versions of what makes us feel happy or nostalgic,” said Dello. “We use organic products and offer a lot of vegan dishes and carnivore dishes. We have something for everyone. We bake vegan/gluten free sweets every morning. Along with fresh fruit smoothies, no sugar added, and a full espresso bar. Our entire menu is or can be gluten free. Homemade with love.”
Vegan Chili Bowl with rice and avacado. Photo by Darris Hurst
Dello and McElmury also embrace the opportunity to work with the bounty from Maui’s farms and focus on a seasonal menu.
“We have an abundance of local farmers here that we support and adore their hard work,” said Dello. “Our menu focuses on fresh, local, and abundant. We don’t really have a most popular or signature item. We offer 5 to 6 specials everyday so our menu is in constant motion with the seasons. We do have some items like our GG’s Reuban made with our housemade beet Kraut that is something unique to us as well as our mermaid bowl stuffed papaya, sweet potato power boat and acai bowl with no sugar added. Our vegan sweets sell out everyday.”
When you read through the menu there are some unusual ingredient combinations. That is where they shine.
“We love a good culinary surprise,” said Dello. “We love finding a tried and true product or ingredient and pairing it with something unexpected. When that is successful, there’s nothing else that’s as exciting for me as a chef.”
You can experience this excitement in their wraps, bowls, and baked goods. The flavors combine into something special. They also make small side dishes and fresh pickles.
A local cafe with awesome coffee selections as well. Photo by Darris Hurst
Thats A Wrap is a small company; they close Sundays and Mondays to keep the workplace environment healthy for the whole team.
“We are open Tuesday through Saturday 9am-4pm,” notes Dello. “We are a small family business with a crew of four. We believe in self care of the mind and body, so closing for these two days lets this crew have our down time to rejuvenate and give our best.”
Dello and McElmury say their food philosophy borrows from Alice Waters, one of the original farm to table chefs.
“When I think of Maui food I think of freshness,” said Dello. “We can grow so many things here year round. I also think of fusion. Blending flavors and ingredients from around the world. The farm to table idea is great, and it only works because there is such a demand for it. One of the things that is unique about That’s A Wrap is that a customer can walk in and say ʻI have food allergiesʼ and be 100 percent confident that Josh or I can answer any questions they have about the ingredients in any of our dishes because we make everything we serve from scratch.”
Gurl in the Curl acai bowl with fresh fruit, chia seed, almond butter and toasted coconut. Photo by Darris Hurst
They also make everything to order. The small team can crank out the dishes, and at busy times the wait is worth it.
“What we aspire to, aesthetically, is something approaching Zen,” said Dello. “We like people to step inside our cafe and feel relaxed, welcomed and a little inspired. We play fun, eclectic music over the speakers. The decor and seating are comfortable, yet elegant. Lots of white with bright accented pillows. There really isn’t any place like it on Maui.”
For more information on That’s A Wrap visit thatsawrapmaui.com or check their instagram.
Dolphin Plaza
2395 S Kīhei Rd, Kīhei
(808) 868-4582
www.thatsawrapmaui.com
