SERVING YOU TODAY’S INDUSTRY NEWS AND INFORMATION 2019 ISSUE 1 MixesMOCHI FOODS by The concept of “mochi” is being revolutionized by Mochi Foods Wolfgang Puck Express KEN’S HOUSE OF PANCAKES Rob’s Good Time Grill FORK & SALAD MAUI we take Pride in our work, so you can take Pride in the beef you serve. Contact your local Sysco Marketing Associate TM for availability and selection. CONTENTS 2019 ISSUE 1 8 5 Hawai‘i Restaurant Association 7 Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association 10 8 Wolfgang Puck Express 10 Ken’s House of Pancakes 12 Fork & Salad Maui 15 Rob’s Good Time Grill 16 FEATURE: Mochi Mania! 22 Operator’s Edge 16 24 Trending 33 Favorite Recipes 12 38 Calendar of Events E Ulu Ikaika Like Ana 24 Growing Stronger Together EDITOR’S CORNER Oahu 716 Umi Street, Honolulu, HI 96819 Aloha! Phone: (808) 843-3200 Fax: (808) 843-3211 Over the past several months, we have been busy introducing Toll Free: (800) 272-5268 we take Pride in our work, Sysco Brand items to Hawai’i. Many customers noticed the superior quality and yield of items like Sysco Imperial Fries, Portico Shrimp Maui and Newport Fresh-Cut Steaks. Meanwhile, we continued to 120 Kane Street, Kahului, HI 96732 market and distribute locally sourced products such as baking mixes Phone: (808) 877-2017 so you can take in Fax: (808) 270-9545 Pride from Mochi Foods, while introducing cutting edge solutions such as Toll Free: (800) 272-5268 Complete 360 Surface Sanitizing System. the beef you serve. Customers featured in this issue – Ken’s House of Pancakes, Rob’s Good Time Grill, Hawai‘i Island Fork & Salad Maui and Wolfgang Puck Express – all enjoyed the exceptional value of 215 D Railroad Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720 Sysco Brand items! Phone: (808) 880-9050 As we strive to be your most valued and trusted business partner, we will continue to Fax: (808) 882-7844 Toll Free: (800) 272-5268 Contact your local Sysco Marketing Associate TM focus on delivering great products to you with extraordinary service. Over the next 12 months, more Sysco Brand items and innovations across various categories will be brought Kauai for availability and selection. to you – stay tuned! 3971 Halau Street, Lihue, HI 96766 Phone: (808) 246-0296 Fax: (808) 245-2629 Herman Tam Toll Free: (800) 272-5268 Director of Marketing & Business Resources HFM FoodService www.hfmfoodservice.com FOODSERVICE IN PARADISE 2019 ISSUE 1 | 3 LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS Keli‘i Gouveia HAWAI‘I RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION President, HRA wo things drive the Hawai‘i Restaurant Asso- line and determine what we are willing to accept and ciation and they are membership and advocacy. what we can pass on to the customer. As the state administration advocates for a Eventually we’re going to have to concede to gov- T$15 minimum wage, the HRA must advocate ernment-imposed wage increases, but the longer we can for minimum wage growth that won’t put our members hold them off, the better able we will be to make gradual out of business. adjustments. NEWS NATIONAL & LOCAL We’re not insensitive That brings me to the to paying employees good membership-driven force wages, it’s just that small behind HRA. mom-and-pops could go The bigger the group, out of business if forced the louder your voice, to endure such a jump in the more you’re apt to be labor costs. heard. Many family run busi- Membership has its nesses have their kids work privileges, including in the business, but those discounts and special kids are going to want offers on services. We’re to go out and get a $15 exploring additional minimum wage job — and “...the HRA must advocate educational benefits that that’s kind of tearing at will help improve your the fabric of what makes for minimum wage operations. Membership Hawai‘i special. also affords a business the We’ve seen a $3 growth that won’t put our opportunity to be part of increase in three years our unified voice, fighting and we’re going to add members out of business.” for meaningful, positive another $4 possibly. It – Keli‘i Gouveia, President, HRA change for the industry. could go up $8 in eight There is no profes- to ten years and that’s sional lobbyist employed unheard of. by HRA. We have a hard- I wouldn’t be surprised working legislative liaison if there are a dozen smaller, who can only be in one family owned operations place at a time. In support that have gone out of busi- of HRA, we have a handful ness for the minimum wage of members volunteering increases we have already to stand up for what we endured. believe is best for our No single cost of doing industry. business is going down. If we’re not coming in We’re looking at 8 to 10 percent increases in utilities and strong, it’s going to be tough to win the battles we need food costs are going up, because the cost of fuel to ship to win. We invite you to join by calling 944-9105 — and food here is rising, as are container fees. help make our voice even stronger. Operators and vendors have to examine the bottom FOODSERVICE IN PARADISE 2019 ISSUE 1 | 5 Exclusive to Sysco! Dispensing Systems Complete®360 is a coordinated line of tissue, towel, and napkin dispensers, and disposables. It’s designed to deliver on the unique needs of foodservice operators, and the standard of service patrons expect. All the while, the Complete®360 portfolio maintains a focus on hygiene, efficiency, durability, and elevated design. 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Houston, TX 77077-1099. www.Sysco.comCall | 2017your HFM representative and order today LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS Mufi Hannemann HAWAI‘I LODGING & TOURISM ASSOCIATION President & CEO, HLTA hese popular island eateries are familiar to her time between California, where she resides with her resident and visitor both: Duke’s Waikiki and family, that she cherishes above all else and Hawai’i. Hula Grill Waikiki at the Outrigger Waikiki I was so impressed with Jackie’s plans and vision TBeach Resort; Duke’s Kaua‘i at the Marriott of where she wants to take TS and her exceptional and Keoki’s Paradise, on the Garden Island; and Duke’s background when we met on one of her recent trips to Beach House, Hula Grill Ka‘anapali, Kimo’s Maui, and Hawai’i that I immediately took it upon myself to recruit NEWS NATIONAL & LOCAL Leilani’s, all on the Valley Isle. her to be a member of the HLTA ohana. Besides being a What you may not know is talented corporate executive, she serves as an that these restaurants, plus a excellent “Ambassador of Hawai’i” passion- few in California, are under the ately proclaiming to one and all that we are a umbrella of TS Restaurants, great place to engage in business and pleasure. headed by CEO Jackie Reed, a The Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association former island girl, who was a held its annual General Membership Meeting at Polynesian dancer and instructor the posh Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu at Ko Olina at one time. in October. Our members had an opportunity The company is a family- to sample the outstanding fare that General owned, privately held company. Manager Charlie Parker and his staff proudly Jackie, who’s of Samoan featured for us. ancestry and proud of it began Among them is Michael Mina’s Fish House, her restaurant career in 1989 a sea-to-table dining experience from the James as a hostess at Leilani’s on Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur. Mr. the Beach, part of the TS Jackie Reed, CEO, Mina, who has restaurants across the globe, has company. It was Jackie’s first TS Restaurants established a restaurant empire in just a short time job and meant to be part-time, in Hawai‘i, having opened Stripsteak Waikiki and but she fell in love with the values, spirit, and opportuni- The Street Honolulu, both great new dining attractions ties of TS and has now spent her entire career with the at the International Market Place. Mina’s Fish House company. overlooks the sea and features his best seafood creations. Jackie worked in two other TS Restaurants before Also part of the Four Seasons is La Hiki Kitchen, being promoted to controller and moving to the home which offers family-style cuisine with local produce, office on the mainland in 1998. Since then, she’s been cooking styles, and dishes that showcase the bounty of involved in five restaurant openings and was an integral the island. Noe is the resort’s authentic Italian eatery part of developing the firm’s accounting systems and with a Capri-by-way-of-O‘ahu menu filled with local human resource policies and adopting new restaurant seafood, top-quality meats, and homemade pastas, plus technology.