HRA’s Sushi and Sake Pa`ina kicked off at 5:30 p.m. on March 18th on the patio of Shokudo. Guests enjoyed delicious food by Shokudo Japanese Restaurant and Bar and finished off with Japanese inspired gelato from IL Gelato. HRA Board Member and HRA Educational Foundation Chair, Hide Sakurai, worked alongside his amazing team making hand…
Winter’s OVER!! As the weather moves from warm to hot, there are a few things Restaurants should look out for. You should always make sure all foods are received and held at the proper temperatures, but there are precautions that should not be overlooked or shortcutted. Potentially Hazardous Foods -PHF- are vulnerable…
This sounds crazy, but it is actually very common and the consequences of creating an unintended franchise are substantial, serious, and include the possibility of both personal and criminal liability. Many well-intentioned operators have tried to avoid the franchise tag by referring to their business relationships and partnerships as a “license,” or a “capital investment,”…
Spring is here, a season that brings a craving for new and healthy meal options for your customers to enjoy. Offering a variety of fresh and flavorful meals can be a huge help to guests who are trying to stick to healthy eating goals. This is the best time for new crops of fresh fruits…
From securing funding to hiring employees and leasing the right space, there are so many things to handle in a startup business. But what about human resources? Successful startups use HR planning to create HR processes, policies and plans that will help the business meet short-term needs and budgets that are flexible enough to adapt…
Aloha! Your Hawaii Restaurant Association Government Affairs Committee had a very busy February and March has been even busier – and now we need your help. There are issues in front of us that deal with minimum wages, bans on plastics, and many more issues that might place our businesses in jeopardy. We ask…
Food Gurus HQ recently sat down with Murphy’s Bar & Grill owner, Don Murphy, to find out what makes this Chinatown bar and restaurant icon tick. We found a charming industry professional, passionate about his business and the people he works with and serves. FGHQ – Don, where did you grow up and spend…
On March 7, 2019 legislators and food industry professionals gathered at Hukilau Honolulu for a Pau Hana with Legislators. This annual event, sponsored by the HRA and Hawaii Food Industry Association (HFIA) is an outstanding opportunity to have face time with our state legislators and discuss issues important to our industry. Over twenty…
On February 15, 2019, Keith Stephenson, Director of State and Local Government Affairs for the National Restaurant Association visited Hawaii and the Hawaii Restaurant Association. Executive Director Sheryl Matsuoka, HRA Treasurer Michael Miller, Incoming Chair Tom Jones, and Legislative Committee Chair Victor Lim met at Tiki’s Grill and Bar to discuss the issues the state…
Just how are regulations made? Why are rules different from state to state? Why are they updated? Here is a little background to understand why and how we have new regulations being added to the Food Code. The Food Code has been around in a basic form from the early 20th century. Rules were not…