Coconut Grove Music, Kailua, Hawaii, is marking its 25th anniversary. The store got its start in 1987, when Luke Yamashiro began selling guitars out Hungry Ear Records, which he had opened a few years earlier. After the city’s only dedicated musical-instrument store closed, in ’88 Yamashiro founded Coconut Grove with partners Mark Tamashiro and Kimo Leong. Yamashiro passed away in 2005, leaving his share of the store to his sister, Roxanne, and her husband, Mark Scrufari.

The store initially focused  on vintage gear and filled it inventory with instruments from the owners’ personal collections.

“Luke would scour want ads for vintage guitars, and was friends with most of the pawn shop owners from here to Honolulu and all over the island,” said Scrufari, who has served as store manager since 2005. “Once, he flew to a neighboring island to pursue what was described as ‘an old guitar in a brown case.’ He came back with a ’59 Gibson ES-335!”

The store is marking the anniversary with promotional events in September. Learn more at www.coconutgrovemusic.com.