Workers in hazmat gear are hauling weeks-old rotting food out of the shuttered Happy Days restaurant in Kaimuki, a grim milestone for a neighborhood spot whose future is still up in the air.

• Crews in full protective suits and respirators are clearing decaying meat, dim sum, sludge, and oil from the closed restaurant.
• The smell has carried into the street, with neighbors describing it as rotting fish or a garbage dump.
• Workers are limited to 30 minutes inside at a time because conditions are so bad.
• Food was sealed well enough that pests have mostly stayed away, leaving food waste as the main problem.
• The building has been closed since its roof caved in during August, injuring several kupuna.

Outlook: Cleanup should wrap up by the end of Friday, but the owner has not decided whether to repair or tear down the building, so reopening remains uncertain.