Kekaha Archives - StoryCorps

Hawaiian Father-Son Duo Recall Opening Their Pizza Shop

Chad Machado and his son, Xavier, live in Kekaha — a small town on Hawaii’s western island of Kaua’i.  Xavier never took to school, but had been obsessed with cooking from a young age. So when Chad lost his job during the Covid-19 pandemic, they decided to take a risk and open up a pizza shop.

A young Hawaiian man in an apron and ballcap stands in a kitchen holding an open pizza box with a large pizza inside, making a shaka hand gesture and smiling at the camera.Xavier Machado at age 18, a month after opening JP’s Pizza in Kekaha, Kaua’i in 2023.
Photo courtesy of Chad Machado. 

Neither had ever worked in a restaurant before, and Xavier was just 18 years old. At StoryCorps, they reflected on what it’s been like to run a business together.

A middle aged Hawaiian man and his teenage son standing in a commercial kitchen; one is smiling at the camera in the foreground, while the other stands behind him next to the counter, making a shaka hand gesture.Chad Machado and his son Xavier Machado at their pizza shop JP’s Pizza in Kekaha, Kaua’i, circa 2023.
Photo courtesy of Chad Machado.
Top Photo: Xavier Machado and his father Chad Machado at their StoryCorps interview in Kekaha, Kaua’i, May 12, 2025.  By Von Diaz for StoryCorps.

This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Originally aired June 27, 2025 on NPR’s Morning Edition.