75 more Hawaiian Bros locations to open as Kansas City-based chain adds franchisee
Kansas City’s Hawaiian Bros Island Grill has signed its first multi-unit franchise agreement.
The new franchisee, Phoenix-based Stine Enterprises, has 87 Jack in the Box locations in Arizona and California, and 14 Denny’s restaurants in the Phoenix area. They plan to open 75 Hawaiian Bros in Arizona and North Texas.
“The agreement with Stine Enterprises sets Hawaiian Bros on a path to expand even more rapidly into key markets while offering franchisees a new restaurant concept with growth potential for years to come,” Grant Kreutzer, vice president of franchise development for Hawaiian Bros, said in a statement. “We’re really looking forward to working with this team to bolster the Hawaiian Bros brand to new markets.”
Hawaiian Bros, a fast-casual concept, first opened a location in Belton in 2018. It now has more than 30 restaurants in several states.
It offers a Hawaiian-style plate lunch with such choices as chicken glazed with sweet, savory, or spicy sauces, and slow-roasted pork, along with macaroni salad, steamed white rice, vegetables and Dole Soft Serve.
It has landed on the Technomic Top 500 list, QSR’s Best Brands to Work For and QSR Magazine’s 40/40 list.
On its franchising page, it says, “We’ll let our numbers do the talking” and lists $4 million in average unit volume; 4.7 stars from over 125,000 customer ratings; and 187,000 loyalty members, growing at a rate of 4,000 new members a week.
In a statement, Adam Stine, president and chief operating officer of Stine Enterprises, said: “The opportunity to operate a unique, high-AUV (average unit volume) fast-casual restaurant concept with a simple menu that delivers efficiencies with supply chain and a 30-second speed of service standard at the drive-thru windows was attractive to us.”
Hawaiian Bros is transferring ownership of its 11 restaurants in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to Stine Enterprises as part of the transaction. Stine plans to begin construction on new locations soon.
Scott Ford, president & co-CEO of Hawaiian Bros, said the combined experience from the Stine team and their expertise in the industry will help elevate Hawaiian Bros and aid in its “rapid growth efforts.”
Locally, Hawaiian Bros has faced increased competition from Utah-based chain Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food.
It currently has four area locations, with two more opening in the next few months.
This story was originally published March 16, 2023 at 3:19 PM.