Restaurants

The Culinary Institute of America has produced top chefs across the country, including Hawaiʻi's Roy Yamaguchi. The restaurateur has taken over as executive director at the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiʻolani Community College.

The Hawaiʻi Workers Center helped bring the case to the attention of federal authorities, who investigated and found that the restaurant was violating labor laws. As HPR's Mark Ladao reports, Max’s Restaurants will have to pay nearly $308,000 in owed back wages and damages.

Chuck and Kale Furuya celebrated Father's Day working the dinner service at Mara — a new Mediterranean restaurant across from the Ala Moana Center. The father-son duo are both sommeliers.

This Mother's Day, many will celebrate by going out to brunch or dinner. Istanbul Hawaii on Oʻahu is one restaurant that expects to serve the Sunday Mother's Day crowd. It's owned by the mother-daughter team Nili Yildirim and Ahu Hettema.

The fast-food chain Wendy's has clarified its idea to implement “dynamic pricing.” The Conversation talked to the Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association about whether the concept could take hold in Hawaiʻi.

Colliers International discusses the down direction for commercial real estate; Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association shares whether "surge pricing" could work in our state; we take a closer look at the heated debate over the state budget in the wake of Maui's wildfire recovery; and a tree consultant talks about the concept of tree equity across our communities.

From the inside of Māla Ocean Tavern, you wouldn't think the restaurant is steps away from Lahaina’s burn zone. It's the first business on Front Street to reopen after the Aug. 8 fire destroyed much of the town. The owners hope the community sees the restaurant as a sign of hope. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports the response has been overwhelming.

Several local eateries just made Yelp's “Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.,” with Adela’s Country Eatery on Oʻahu in the Top 10 for a consecutive year. The Conversation's Catherine Cruz dropped by early one morning while Adela Visitacion was busy preparing their signature noodles made with ingredients such as ʻulu and moringa.

Thousands of Lahaina restaurant workers are set to receive financial aid in the form of $600 prepaid debit cards following a fundraiser by celebrity chef Guy Fieri. About $1.2 million was donated to the Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association. That money is being distributed to about 2,000 restaurant workers affected by the August fires on Maui.

The city hopes to select a new administrator by the end of the summer. This comes after two finalists withdrew their names in the spring.