Hawaiian-style restaurant chain adding more Kansas City area locations

Utah-based Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food is adding more Kansas City area locations.

▪ 520 N.W. Chipman Road, Lee’s Summit, is scheduled to open in April.

▪ 12005 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, is scheduled to open in the summer.

It has opened area locations in Blue Springs, Liberty, Olathe and Overland Park.

Mo’ Bettahs was founded by two brothers. Kimo and Kalani Mack grew up on Oahu, Hawaii, and opened their first Mo’ Bettahs in 2008 in Utah.

The restaurants specialize in Hawaiian plate lunches.

Customers choose their protein: steak or chicken teriyaki; kalua pig (slow roasted for 10 hours); pulehu chicken (boneless chicken thigh, grilled and seasoned with black pepper, garlic and sea salt); katsu chicken (boneless chicken thigh, breaded and deep-fried); or shrimp tempura. The plates come with rice, along with macaroni salad or tossed salad.

Its pake salad has hand-chopped romaine, grape tomatoes, mandarin oranges and wonton strips with a choice of meat.

Mo’ Bettahs is a competitor to Kansas City-based Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, which was founded by brothers who grew up in Oregon and is expanding in the Kansas City area and elsewhere.

This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 9:57 AM.