L&L Hawaiian Barbecue Franchise Rounds Out 2023 Growth with Five New Locations in the Fourth Quarter

HONOLULU, Dec. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, the popular Hawaii-based restaurant franchise, has opened five new locations in the fourth quarter of 2023. The locations are in Henderson, NV; Denver, CO; Arlington, TX; Tucson, AZ and Waikoloa Village, HI. The new openings serve as an indication of strong growth for Hawaii’s largest restaurant chain.

L&L has developed a presence in what many expatriates from Hawaii consider the “9th Island” (an extension of Hawaii’s eight original islands). The addition of the Henderson location aims to give customers greater accessibility to the L&L dishes in Las Vegas’ most active city. The 15th Las Vegas location is the first of its kind for the franchise as it also features a gas station. “Customers can come in and fuel their cars and also fuel their hunger with delicious Hawaiian Barbecue,” says Harun Rashid, owner of the Henderson location, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue.

Over 750 miles northeast of Henderson, the fifth L&L Hawaiian Barbecue in Colorado made its debut. The owner of the new metropolitan Denver location, Brian Cung trained in Hawaii in preparation for the opening of his first L&L location. “We’re happy to join the other locations across the Centennial state to bring Aloha through authentic Hawaiian flavors,” says Cung. L&L has had a presence in the state for nearly 20 years since the first location opened in Aurora.

Nearly 800 miles southeast of Denver, L&L opened its first standalone drive-through location in Arlington, Texas. The restaurant recently celebrated its grand opening with the flavors, sights, and sounds of the islands of the Pacific.

“We are excited to share the Aloha spirit through our delicious Hawaiian plate lunches and warm hospitality here in Texas,” says Rahul Rai, who co-owns the new L&L with his wife, April Lazo. “Keeping to L&L’s roots, we are a family-owned and operated business, and the food we serve at L&L brings not only our Ohana (family) together but all who walk through our doors,” adds Lazo. The restaurant also offers catering, and mobile ordering, and provides a comfortable dine-in environment for guests to enjoy the flavors of Hawaii, including a variety of BBQ meats, rice plates, and the world-famous SPAM® Musubi.

The second L&L in Arizona opened in Tucson with a grand opening on December 7. Owner Rilii Nakano comments, “We had a festive celebration complete with hula dancers from the local Halau Hula O Ualani. The community here loves Hawaii and is thrilled to have authentic Hawaiian plate lunches.”

Back in Hawaii, the L&L Waikoloa Village location opened in late December. Located on the northwest side of the Island of Hawaii, L&L’s co-owner Wesley Wu says, “I’m not only excited to be multi-unit co-owner of eight L&L locations on Oahu and the Island of Hawaii but to also be the 69^th Hawaii location for the L&L Hawaiian Barbecue brand.”

Each of the five restaurants is franchisee-owned and operated by independent owner-operators. The five new openings mark a record year of growth for the franchise company with 18 locations opened in 2023. The fast-growing franchise has plans to continue its expansion with a projected 20 locations slated to open in 2024.

About L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

Founded in Honolulu as L&L Dairy in 1952, Eddie Flores, Jr. and Johnson Kam, both immigrants from China, acquired L&L in 1976. Together, they grew the business and it became one of the most popular and successful chains serving fresh plate lunches in generous portions and affordable prices. In 1999, the co-founders introduced the L&L brand of Hawaiian plate lunches to the continental United States and rebranded the franchise to what it is known today as L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. Today, “Hawaiian Barbecue” is one of the fastest-growing categories due to its blend of ethnic flavors and representation of Hawaii’s culture and cuisine. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue has 228 locations throughout the U.S. and Japan. For more information, visit hawaiianbarbecue.com.