Community Highlights: Meet Elayna And Stivo Kawinda of Blessed Hibachi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elayna And Stivo Kawinda.

Hi Elayna and Stivo, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
This is Elayna writing on behalf of both my husband, Stivo, and myself.

Blessed Hibachi started as an idea from my then-boyfriend, Stivo. He invited me to an event where he was cooking hibachi, and after seeing his talent and passion for cooking and the joy people had when coming together to celebrate, I began to understand how special the experience was. Once the event was over and I had seen how everything worked, he asked me if I would ever want to start a hibachi business with him. At the time, I was working toward a Bachelor’s degree in business, and we both felt that God was preparing us for this and giving us a vision for what the business could become.

I loved the idea of being part of people’s celebrations and special moments. From the very beginning, the heart of Blessed Hibachi has been about more than just food. We chose the name “Blessed Hibachi” because we felt truly blessed to start a business where we could celebrate with families and friends. No matter what event we go to, we always feel the love and joy of people coming together.

In the beginning, starting the business was very challenging. I was in school, and Stivo was working for another company. We put our full faith in God’s plan for us and began taking the steps to make the business official. We contacted the La Verne University Small Business Development Center, which helped us get all of our paperwork and permits in order. We were and are so grateful to have such amazing guidance.

Around that time, a close friend gifted us a van they no longer used, which fit our business needs perfectly. From the very beginning until now, that van has been one of the main reasons we have been able to run and grow this business, and it has always felt like another blessing that came at exactly the right time in God’s time.

Our business started slowly, but through God’s grace and the amazing support of the people around us, we began to grow.

The day we bought our first grill, we received a call asking us to cook a hibachi event that same day — our very first event as Blessed Hibachi. For us, that moment felt like a clear confirmation that we were stepping into exactly what God had planned.

At our events, we met so many wonderful people who encouraged and supported us and referred us to their friends and family, which helped our business continue to grow.

Along the way of building this business, our relationship also continued to grow, and we are now happily married, building both our life and our business together. We have both returned to school to continue learning, improve our service, and ensure every event runs smoothly as we continue to expand. As we grow, our goal is to always stay rooted in our faith, our values, and our commitment to quality food and excellent customer service. Today, we are grateful to be running Blessed Hibachi full-time as a husband-and-wife team.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. At the beginning, we truly knew nothing about running a business. Learning about business in school and actually running one in real life are very different, and we faced many unknowns with a lot of learning to do. We started Blessed Hibachi from nothing, so there were many long hours behind creating everything that exists today.

One of our biggest challenges was learning how to build a business from the ground up. In the beginning, we did not know how to register the business or what permits we would need, and much of what we learned came through trial and error. We also spent a lot of time testing recipes and ingredients, always making sure the quality of our food met our standards before bringing it to any event. Many hours and resources were invested in finding ingredients we were proud to serve.

We also took a risk by creating a setup that was different from what others were doing. It was scary because we knew the traditional setups worked, but we wanted to stand out and create something unique. Over time, that decision became one of the ways we differentiated ourselves.

Throughout all of this, our faith played a major role in keeping us going. There were many moments when we felt unsure, overwhelmed, or afraid of making the wrong decisions, but we consistently turned to God for guidance and peace. We truly believe that every step forward, every opportunity, and every open door came from Him.

We learned early on that we had to split the work as a team. I focus more on the behind-the-scenes work, while my husband handles much of the physical preparation and cooking. During events, we work side by side to make sure everything runs smoothly.

This business is just run by the two of us, which can be challenging at times, but it is also very fulfilling once everything comes together. We truly believe that without God’s guidance, provision, and timing, Blessed Hibachi would not be where it is today. Being able to build something from the ground up and work every day with someone you love is something we are very grateful for.

Looking back, all of those challenges shaped our work ethic, strengthened our teamwork, and deepened our faith. We truly believe that God is the reason we were able to persevere, grow, and build Blessed Hibachi into what it is today.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Blessed Hibachi?
Blessed Hibachi is a family-owned, husband-and-wife mobile hibachi business. We serve private hibachi events throughout Southern California. We travel to our clients’ homes and venues to bring the hibachi experience directly to them, cooking fresh on-site and creating an interactive, intimate dining experience.

What sets us apart is that we care just as much about the experience as we do about the food. From the very first message, we personally handle every part of the process — planning, communication, setup, cooking, service, and cleanup. We bring everything with us, including tables, chairs, linens, table settings, décor, and the grill, so our clients can truly relax and enjoy their time with their guests.

We are especially known for our unique setups. From the beginning, we wanted to create something different from what we were seeing in the industry. We wanted each event to feel thoughtful, personal, and elevated, not just like a typical catering service. Creating that kind of setup was a risk at first, but it became one of the ways people began to recognize and remember our brand.

Quality is very important to us. We spend a lot of time testing recipes, sourcing ingredients, and refining our menu because we want to be proud of everything we serve. Since we cook everything fresh at each event, we can focus on both quality and consistency.

What we are most proud of as a brand is the relationships we have built. Many of our events come from referrals and repeat clients, and that means everything to us. As a small business that is run by the two of us, every client, every review, and every recommendation truly matters.

At the heart of Blessed Hibachi is our faith and our love for bringing people together. For us, this business is not just about food, but about creating meaningful moments around the table. We want readers to know that when they book Blessed Hibachi, they are inviting a husband-and-wife team who genuinely care about their celebration and will treat it like it matters.

Our website, BlessedHibachi.com, is where clients can find more information about our services and get a general idea of our pricing. Because every event is different, our pricing is based on a case-by-case basis depending on the package selected, the number of guests, and the city where the event is held. We currently offer three main packages, each including both food and the full setup, so clients can choose the option that best fits their celebration.

They can also find Blessed Hibachi on Google , Instagram and TikTok.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
In our local area and the greater Los Angeles region, what we like best is the sense of community. We love how supportive people are of small, local businesses and how much value there is in gathering together to celebrate milestones and special moments. That strong community culture fits perfectly with what we do.

We also appreciate the area’s diversity and the many different families, cultures, and communities we are able to serve. Being located near so many cities allows us to reach a wide range of clients throughout Southern California.

What we like least is the challenges that come with operating in such a busy, spread-out region. Traffic, long travel times, and the high cost of doing business can make things more complicated, especially for a mobile business like ours. At the same time, we understand that these are part of the reality of working in a large and active area.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://BlessedHibachi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blessedhibachi/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/blessed-hibachi-claremont
• Other: https://share.google/tRYGpeCVmVxaapQFS