The origins of Café Pesto lay in the quaint harbor town of Kawaihae where a small take-out pizzeria that began in 1988 quickly evolved into an award winning dining establishment on the resort coast of South Kohala. Our inception coincided with the birth of Hawaii Regional Cuisine with which we became notably associated. Following this growth and success we sought out a more locally based market for our concept in the lush surroundings of Hilo, a city where the best of old Hawaii remained in an era otherwise forgotten. Here, turn of the century buildings – survivors of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, devastating tsunamis and economic depressions – have stood poised against the ravages of time. These timeless structures are now the foundation of what has become the renaissance of downtown
Operator computes a Health score continuously. It is the one number that tells you if this shop is winning, losing, or steady. Here is how Cafe Pesto broke down on Apr 19, 2026.
Operator ranks every restaurant in Hilo continuously using reviews, response rate, and local market share.
The numbers tell one story. The photos tell another. Images are indexed from Google Business Profile, the public website, and connected social profiles.

Reviews pulled continuously from Google, Yelp, and Meta. Aggregate weighted by recency and source authority.
The restaurant shops Cafe Pestocompetes with most often, ranked by Operator’s health score. Tap any row for that shop’s full page.
The questions people ask before they call.
Activate the Market Analyst for free. Health Score, ranking, and competitor signal refreshed every night, no card required.