 to Restaurants Hawaii on Think Tech Hawaii. My name is Cheryl Matsuoka, the Executive Director of the Hawaii Restaurant Association. And today our conversation is on the Hawaii Restaurant card. Yes, that green card will be expiring on June 30th next month. And so in six weeks, we want everyone who's got it to please go out and visit your favorite restaurant, coffee shop, bakery, bar, and tavern. And I have two guests today, so I'm going to ask them to introduce themselves. Ladies first, Sheri. My name is Sheri Uyen, and I am actually the sales manager, the broadline sales manager with Waihata. And we are located in Sand Island. We also have our chef's own, and we are statewide as well. Thank you. Welcome. Andy? Hi, my name is Andy Wong, I'm the VP and CEO of L&L Hawaii. I'm sure everybody's been to L&L during their lifetime, you know. But yeah, so I oversee the franchise operations throughout the nations, and in Hawaii we have about 66 locations throughout the island. Welcome, Andy. Thank you both for joining me today. Today our conversation is around the Hawaii Restaurant card that actually started in October of 2020 when Governor E. Gay approved CARES funds to help our Hawaii food service industry, which was one of the industries that was most impacted by the pandemic. At first it was those on unemployment, that was Hawaii Restaurant card 1.0, and then the poor, the pandemic unemployment assistance. And then the third version of the Hawaii Restaurant was supported by our local businesses. It was privately funded by businesses. It was banks, financial institutions, construction companies. Businesses started purchasing the Restaurant card to help infuse money into our economy, into our food service economy. So for those who have the card that has the most recent card, it's green. And those were purchased by somebody who really wanted to support the food service industry here in Hawaii. So please, today we're having a conversation to ask you to please go out and use it. So let's talk about a little bit, Andy, of how the restaurants that you've seen has seen the impact from the Hawaii Restaurant card. Do you want to share about what you've seen? Yes, you know, thank you for letting me share. And, you know, during the first round of the Hawaii Restaurant card, we actually, you know, see about 30, 20 to 30 percent of our sales coming from this card, and especially during the heaviest hit when the lockdown happened and people's, you know, income got, you know, a lot lower than they normally made. So, you know, people are spending less outside with this card. Actually, you know, you kind of bridge the gap between the people who still eat dining out and also, you know, using the card to spend. So we really, our franchisees are really got supported by our, you know, community. So we really appreciate that card. Awesome, Andy. I heard so many stories of restaurants really were so appreciative of the card. It's what kept them going during the pandemic. And so that's what today's all about talking about, you know, how it's helped restaurant tours and also the suppliers. So when our restaurants, bakeries, coffee shop bars and taverns are serving more meals, they support our local farmers, fishery and suppliers by placing more orders. One local supplier of food is Waihata, who is locally owned and operated and their wholesale food distributor who has been doing business in Hawaii for 109 meals. That's right. Next year, 2023 marks Waihata's 110th anniversary. So congratulations to Cherie and Chef Zone and Waihata as a food distributor. Cherie, could you please share with us how you saw the benefit of the Hawaii restaurant card and how it helped the food service industry in Waihata? Well, for our ohana here at Waihata, you know, we strongly believe in locally owned and operated businesses, whether it be restaurants or just companies in general, you know. So we want to support every which way we can. We have seen an uptick in sales. And even through the pandemic, it was a rough start. But as time went on, it was exciting to see that a lot of these even small businesses still survived and thrived through the pandemic. So when a program like this is presented, we really try to support and get behind it. So when we see those restaurant tours coming through those doors at Chef Zone, it's a really feel good feeling that we still see them on a regular basis and that their sales are going up and they're still able to be successful during this time. Thank you, Cherie. Yes, during this time, Andy, know I have been out there reminding everyone if you haven't used your Hawaii restaurant card, they're expiring at the end of June, June 30th. So I have found people who still have them in their wallets completely forgot about them. So I remind them, you know, the person who gave this to you, are really in their heart wanted to support the food service industry. So please, it was a gift. Please go out and use it. Andy, do you have any story that you want to share with us? Yeah, you know, it just so happened. I was talking to one of my colleagues and, you know, about this, this, this show that I'm going to be on and talking about the restaurant car. And then as I was talking to her and she was like, Oh, I have one in my wallet. I was like, why didn't you spend it? You know, like, this is, this is why we have these cars. And it's like, okay, wait, I really need to end. A lot of people didn't know there is an expiration date on it. You know, not like the normal gift car, you can, you can keep it for years. But this, this does expire at the end of June. So, you know, gotta go out there and spend it to help our local business. So, you know, especially, you know, we're in Hawaii and the restaurant is, it's one of the biggest industry. Well, if that's, you know, if not the biggest industry in Hawaii, so, you know, all this local business, when we receive these cars, we get to keep our employees, we can keep them on payroll and they, if they, you know, and then they can earn an income. And then they can go out to the other local restaurants that they support to spend the money. So the dollar goes around a lot longer if you spend at the local business. And we really see so many local, locally owned family restaurants closing down. So we really don't want to see any more of the restaurant closing down. So then we really appreciate all the local support that kept our business going. So thank you, Andy. And you're right. It was this community, you know, we're so blessed that we live here in Hawaii and we are so community-minded. As I mentioned back in 2021, Governor E. Gay approved the CARES funds to help the people who are on unemployment and the pull out of the pandemic unemployed assistance program. He introduced all of the CARES funds into the economy and then the businesses got around it and said, hey, how can we support by giving out, as we mentioned, gifts to people to go out and use the restaurant card? It was a collaborative, it was a collaborative event. It never, you can never do anything by yourself. So really a big shout out to American Savings Bank, who was absolutely the biggest partner because we needed a bank to create the debit cards, to distribute the debit cards and American Savings Bank photos to them because they stepped up all four times to help distribute all the restaurant card. And that they even agreed to do it last August for this latest green card is amazing. So, you know, it was a collaborative event that we want to get through and do it. It is a pure debit card. It's a pure MasterCard. So when people are using it, you know, I just want to say because there was some confusion between the original, which is CARES funds and these that are locally purchased is you can definitely put food on it. You can even put your cocktail on it. You can put your tip on it. So it's a pure debit card. So enjoy your favorite cocktail beverage also. So Sherry, have you heard any stories about how people have used the Hawaii restaurant card, or has any of the people that went out to did purchase a lot for their phones? Yes, we have gotten some great positive feedback. During the holiday season, we purchased over a thousand cards, and we actually distributed them during Christmas season for our holiday gifting to every employee in order to support. And we also every holiday season, we also give gifts to our customers. So rather than, you know, giving the traditional gift basket and whatnot, we decided to give a really nice holiday card along with the Hawaii restaurant card so that they can either pour it back into their business or use it for their teams to perhaps the family meal and whatnot. But just to keep it all like Andy mentioned earlier, just to keep it all in our industry and the economy and hopefully these little tokens will help, you know, just give back to them. Yeah, so important. And there's a poster. So for those that are listening to this recording, there's a poster and if you don't have it, you can go ahead and email me and contact me through the Hawaii Association website. It's HawaiiRestaurant.org. Andy, are all of your restaurants, do they all have the posters up? Yes. As soon as I got the poster, I send it out to all the locations and, you know, who doesn't want to get more business, right? So, you know, we have it posted at all our locations throughout the nation, throughout Hawaii. That's excellent because we want to encourage everyone. You don't have to register for it or anything. It's a pure debit card. So all restaurants, bars, coffee shops, bakeries, you know, any food establishment can accept the Hawaii restaurant card. So please put that poster and it's a green, it shows the green card and it says, Hawaii restaurant card, welcome here. So that the people who have it in their wallet say, hey, I have one of those cards in my wallet and they'll come into your establishment and use it. Yeah. And then I also talked to some of the customers that were using the car, you know, they asked them, well, how do you like the car? It seems great. And they actually made a point to visit all of their favorite local business. I was like, that's very, that's great. Thank you so much. You know, that's what we need, you know, the local support. This was a very amazing program and we thank all the people that were behind the Hawaii restaurant card and all of the partners. And so, you know, in the spirit of everything going on, it's now, it's now that the restaurants really need this support. So because it does expire at the end of June, you know, restaurants are challenging, challenged with rising costs, right, Andy? Supply chain disruption, right, Shuri? And worker shortage. So we need a little bit of support. And if you have a restaurant card and even if you don't have a restaurant card, please support your local food establishment. So let's talk about how it's been recently. Shuri, you want to tell us a little bit about how it's been over at Waihata and Chef Tsung? Sure. You know, we have seen such an increase in sales, which is a good sign. But at the same time, with supply challenges, we are trying our best to ensure that all of our restaurants and restaurant tours and these companies are all taken care of and they get what they need. We've seen a lot of pivoting through this time, right, things that you have probably not have expected in operations or, you know, even labor, they're the streamlined crews or teams that these companies work with, you know, there's a lot of pressure on them as well. So we as in just in business, we're learning how to just navigate through this time and develop ways to really show gratitude and take care of our employees, right, by just being there for them through this time. And we're all in it together. So we're not alone. Every business is faced with these challenges and what not. So hopefully we see brighter times, you know, looking forward. But if you turn on the news, we hear a lot of the entire nation and the world in general just struggling through this time. So again, a lot of pivoting. So we at Waihata, we want to find those opportunities where we can find solutions for our customers that they may not have been open to before or in past, but looking for those opportunities for them or alongside them. So we just got to hang in there, right? Beautifully said. And you're so correct. The stories that I hear every day, as you know, restaurateurs are constantly calling me and letting me know that we're asking the community for their patients as we, number one, are going through the employee shortage as every industry has been impacted by the lack of employees. Sometimes their weight is a little longer. You know, if you don't make a reservation, you should get in. The other part is, you know, the menus change because of the supply chain disruption. Sometimes we can't get the items that normally were on our menu. So menus are changing. And the price of just everything, the price of being in business, the price of living in this world, gas prices are going up and it's affecting a lot of people. So you're right, Sherry. It's just been a very challenging time and we just ask the community for understanding and support. So Andy, what are some of the challenges that you all are going through and hoping that we have people with restaurant cards coming to your location is to help offset some of those challenges? Yes, definitely. Yeah. So the rising cost of the supplies, that's the biggest issue right now. We're a family quick service restaurant. We do a lot of takeouts and we try to keep our price down as low as possible to support the local community. But there are things that we just can't control and it's eating into our profit margin. Most of our locations are family-owned. So because of their family-owned, they kind of understand that they didn't want to increase the price. So they're just getting hurt by getting less profit, but they can still survive. And the biggest challenge, another challenge is finding employees. So we're short-handed and how do we pivot from having short-handed is just either they work longer hours and they find other ways to offset the labor. So we're looking into kiosks ordering. So then you don't have to wait in line. You don't have to have two cashiers. You just have one cashier and another person can punch in the order. We also have our LNL apps. So we're promoting our apps and also the customer can just order in advance and just pick up and also the delivery service. So offering the delivery service also helps small people that works for the delivery service. So then keep them employees. So that also helps the economy as well. Yeah, so all that. And so we're celebrating our 70-year anniversary this year. So we're still going strong. We just hope with the community support, we look forward to continue to grow and to survive, to thrive. Right. That's terrific. You know, we definitely, I mean, when I hear that you 70-year anniversary at LNL and next year, 110-year anniversary for my home hall, four-year restaurant association, this year is our 75th anniversary. And you know, because of the pandemic, that's something that really has been on top of my mind because we're just trying to get everyone through this pandemic as things keep changing quickly. But the restaurant card, you know, to our listeners and viewers is if you have one, we're just asking you to please go to the restaurant and support them. And if you don't have one, please still continue to support our local community. So we're getting ready to wind up in a little bit. And I just wanted to give each of you an opportunity to just share with us any closing statements and your hope for the future. So Shiri, you want to go first, ladies first? Of course, yes. You know, as we go through this time of struggle or challenge, you know, we still have to remember the positive that we have, you know, and appreciating the employees that come day in and day out to make this all come together, just like our restaurants. It's so, it's not easy, but it's sometimes I know that these owners, operators face that challenge to close their doors, you know, and is it easier to do? Can we sustain? Should we sustain, you know, so by our community coming together and just supporting them, it really helps, you know. And I know our owner, Russell Hatha, he's so, he's such at the forefront for giving to people, not just to all of our Ohana here at Waihata, but to the community, to the schools, you know, funding programs and whatnot. And it just helps us to take a step back to realize that we have to take care of each other, especially during times such as these, you know, and it may not make the situation better or the whole logistics and everything else, but it helps us to get through the time and stick together and encourage each other until this is all over, until it gets better. But I do see it getting better. We do have updates and changes from our supply chain and our manufacturers and whatnot. So all we can do is hope for the best and do what is outside of our box to make things better. Yes, anything this pandemic has demonstrated is like mentioned, Sherry, the businesses that their strengths were definitely shown, you know, when Russell had told me and said that he did purchase for his employees and all of his partner, the Hawaii restaurant, he knew that this would put the whole future in the play. I was like, thank you, Russell. Thank you so much. I think he did it twice in 2021 and then in 2020. So now to Andy, do you have any comments, any closing statements and any hope for our future? Yes, like Sherry said, you know, during the hard time, it really showed that, you know, the love from the community, right? So we really appreciate the community come together and supporting our local businesses. And, you know, we were fortunate that we were able to survive through this hard time and, you know, and to share our love to our communities, right? So, you know, our founder, Eddie and Johnson, they both very involved with the community. So we, we, you know, we really, especially after the markets opening up now, we have, you know, seen a lot more business, our business are continuing to go the positive going forward. So we really look forward to the better future and I know things are going to get better, you know. It's tough now, but it will get better and we will, we will make it. Yes. And it's like you both said, we just want to look towards the future and just hope and pray for a better tomorrow. We're thankful for the Hawaii restaurant card program as I mentioned with Governor Ige for the first round with the CARES funds, with Americans who keep staying with, that we want to get at least the support out there by, you know, supplying these restaurant cards. If you do have a green card or if you know somebody who has the green Hawaii restaurant card, please remind them that it does expire at the end of June. And is it your local bakery? Coffee shop, bar, tavern and restaurant because you want to support them who will then support the farmers, the fisheries and the schools such as the Rolotas. And we want to be, remind everyone you can't put cocktails on that card because it's a pure debit card and you can also leave your tip on it. So again, if you have any questions, email me at the hawaiirestaurant.org. If you need restaurants, you need the poster, just email me and I'll send you the digital file. You just print it up and put it in your window or windows to let everyone know that you definitely accept the Hawaii restaurant card. And in closing, you know, the food service industry is still struggling. We're struggling with the rising cost of food, supplies, gas, just the rising cost of food and what's going on in the world. And so thank you for community support and patience through this. The food service industry thanks all of our businesses and all of the supporters that support us as the Hawaii Restaurant Association is the vote for Hawaii's restaurant and food for the community here in Hawaii. Thank you everyone. Thank you so much for watching Think Tech Hawaii. If you like what we do, please like us and click the subscribe button on YouTube and the follow button on Vimeo. 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