Little-known fact: Akau has 14 grandchildren ranging in age from 2 through 17.

Major challenge: "Incorporating a development concept in the (Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center) that will emphasize our Hawaiian heritage and entertain and educate both visitors and locals alike."

Q. Kamehameha Schools will start a $55 million renovation of the 24-year-old Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center next year. Why is this renovation needed, and how will it change the identity of Waikiki's largest shopping center?

A. It's going to be exciting. There's going to be less concrete, more open space, a royal grove, a lot of palm trees and grass mounds. The front section of the center will have a lot of visibility from Kalakaua Avenue where we're going to open up the third floor to get traffic up there. So when you're on the other side of Kalakaua, you'll be able to see people sitting in the restaurants.

At the same time, we're going to try to bring back all of the cultural aspects of Hawai'i, being that this is the legacy of Princess Bernice Pauahi and the Kamehameha Schools. We're bringing in unique shops, great restaurants and a lot of entertainment. It's about restoring the old Waikiki, when the tourists and locals mingled. I think as years went by, that disappeared, and we want to bring that back.

Q. Why aren't residents coming into Waikiki the way they used to?

A. I think because the visitor market changed. When the Asian visitors came in, many of the centers, including ours, changed the merchandise mix to cater to them while continuing to please the westbound visitors. By doing that, the prices got more expensive and the locals started to feel this wasn't the place for them.

Q. Soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when visitor arrivals plummeted, those in the tourism industry here started refocusing on the kama'aina market. Is that market still critical for the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center?

A. For me, (Sept. 11) was a wake-up call to remember that the locals are here to stay and that they are an integral part of us here in Waikiki. Every center I managed (including Aloha Tower Marketplace and Windward Mall), we had to depend on the locals because they do bring in a lot of income.

Q. How has the addition of the Cheesecake Factory, which opened in December 2003, boosted the center?

A. The restaurant still targets the visitor market, but (it) gets a good chunk of our local market coming. It's been a good draw for us, definitely. It's really the beginning of the changes to come. We're going to have more restaurants like that, where you're being entertained as well.

Q. How has Waikiki changed over the years, and how is the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center adapting to those changes?

A. Waikiki has become a destination that needs revitalization. Studies have shown that visitors want more of a cultural experience when they come to Hawai'i, not just shopping. We're going to offer them the best of both worlds at RHSC. ... The way we'll do it is through tenant mix. We want to make sure we're able to have something for all the markets that come in. Right now we're working really hard on getting the right merchandise mix in here that will appeal to different markets.

Q. With the number of repeat visitors to Hawai'i growing, how can the center keep giving them something new and different?

A. As part of our revitalization plan, we're going to really enhance the cultural experience. We want to give them that experience just walking through the center. ... When they walk through or visit the shops, we want that true feeling of aloha to come through. It's what we call ho'okipa, where the place, the host and the guest come together and (it gives) them this unique experience.

Q. Being born and raised on O'ahu — and being Native Hawaiian — do you have special memories of Waikiki?

A. I used to be an asthmatic child, so my mom used to bring us here all the time. And as much as we did, I still didn't learn how to swim (laughs). Waikiki is a special place for locals. So many memories.

Q. You were here in 1988 as the center's property manager and left in 1993. What's been the biggest difference for you?

A. The interesting thing now is that I'm excited that we're going to revitalize this place, get rid of the concrete and soften it so that it is the Hawai'i we all dream of. Being half-Hawaiian, I really feel like this is a beautiful place, but it didn't have that 'When I come to Hawai'i, I'll remember the Royal Hawaiian.' And I know where we're going, we're going to get that back. When the tourists come, they're going to say, 'Wow, this is Hawai'i.' I going cry just talking about it. But I really believe in my heart that we needed this. And I felt that way 10 years ago, that we needed to revitalize the center, we needed that change.

Q. What's your vision of Waikiki?