It's the grand opening of Honolulu Cookie Company's flagship store at the Hyatt Regency in Waikiki. Owner Keith Sung has been building his shortbread cookie empire at a torrid pace. He added six stores last year, two more will open in Waikiki next month. And he plans to go beyond Hawaii.

"We're looking at San Francisco, Las Vegas, maybe Guam, Saipan, hopefully Japan, and Korea," says Sung.

This store is number eleven. Sung says he faces the same problems as other local business owners. The ups and downs of tourism, along with the high cost of fuel and ingredients. But he says he prefers to look ahead and not worry too much.

Sung says, "If you start worrying then you can't do anything. You gotta be positive. It's gonna be good and when the bad time comes you gotta tell yourself this is a temporary thing."

The way Sung sees it, whether the economy is good or bad, people from all over the world, young or old, will always want cookies.

Sung says the stores have been busy and will be more so during the summer. So he's not looking back. He wants the company he started from a factory in Kalihi ten years ago to be internationally known. And at the same time, market Hawaii with his unique pineapple shaped cookies.

"How do you represent Hawaii? Pineapple shape, hospitality, I want to try to make it very unique, and flavor wise it's gonna be all Hawaiian flavors," says Sung.

He now sells more than a dozen types of shortbread cookies, and like the business itself, the variety will also keep growing.