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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Thursday, March 31, 2005

Jerome E. Metcalfe, restaurateur

By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Neighbor Island Editor

WAILUKU, Maui — Jerome E. Metcalfe, owner of two popular Maui restaurants, died of brain cancer Tuesday at his Lahaina home. He was 67.

Jerome E. Metcalfe

Metcalfe saved the Rusty Harpoon in Ka'anapali from bankruptcy 10 years ago and rebuilt it into a multimillion-dollar business, said his daughter Suzzette Metcalfe, executive chef at the establishment. The restaurant and tavern, located in the Whalers Village, has been a favorite hangout for visitors and locals for at least 30 years.

In 1997 he opened the Kahului Ale House, a sports bar and restaurant, and also owned Hawaiian Photo Arts, a printing and advertising firm.

Suzzette Metcalfe said her father was a familiar sight in his aloha-print cowboy shirt and boots. He was "a very kind man" and "a father figure" who was known for picking up hitchhikers in his Cadillac DeVille and offering them jobs at his restaurants, she said.

In 2003, with the help of U.S. Rep. Ed Case, Metcalfe obtained a $5 million conditional loan commitment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop an $8 million water park and a family entertainment center at the Lahaina Business Park. The plan included a miniature golf course and a second Ale House restaurant.

Metcalfe's daughter, Tonia Finbraaten, said the fate of the project will be determined when his estate is settled.

Metcalfe was born April 24, 1937, in Milwaukee. Family members said he was an outdoorsman who enjoyed big-game hunting. Metcalfe owned Sentry Food Store in Wisconsin with his brother before moving to Hawai'i.

Visitation will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday at Ballard Family Mortuary, with a service at 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Maui Food Bank.

In addition to his two daughters, Metcalfe is survived by sons Jerome, Scott and Chad Metcalfe and Greg Levine, a brother, Vernon, and three grandchildren.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com or (807) 244-4880.