Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Liang.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Before opening the Ono Hawaiian BBQ concept, my brother Joe (Ono’s president) and I have always been immersed in the food world. We both love food, and enjoy bringing a diverse palate of flavors in a way that is authentic and approachable. We’ve dabbled in dim sum, and in addition to Ono, have our hands in a couple of other restaurant concepts. However, Ono Hawaiian BBQ has always been our passion project because the food and culture of Hawaii is something both Joe and I have always enjoyed. Similar to our familial background, Hawaii is a melting pot of ethnic cultures and nowhere is this influence more profound than in its cuisine. In October of 2002 (15 years ago), we opened our first Ono Hawaiian BBQ location on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Bundy Drive to introduce fresh homemade Hawaiian fare to the masses, with this underlying message in mind.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Getting started was not easy. When we tried to open our first Ono location, we had a hard time getting call backs from landlords and brokers, so we ended up buying the first store at Santa Monica and Bundy Drive from Yoshinoya, and converting the restaurant to Ono Hawaiian BBQ using a limited budget. Even after opening the first location, we still had a hard time getting a second location in the LA metro area, so we ended buying 2 more locations from Yoshinoya. After that, we decided to look outside of the LA metro area, which is how we ended up opening locations in Phoenix.
Also, getting the right menu – when we opened our Santa Monica/Bundy location, we had a pretty big menu and a lot of variations and combination options of entrees and sides. At that time, the point of sales systems was limited in functions and because we were making our food fresh to order, we had a lot of mistakes with our orders. For the first 6 months, I remember we had to change our menu 3 different times. We learned that we really needed to focus on what is important to us, which was Plate Lunches and serving fresh quality food made to order. To do this, we had to simplify our menu down to the entrees that our customers love. After the first 6 months, this format proved successful, and is a similar format we follow today.
Once we opened around 6 to 7 locations and developed a small fan base with our customers, the landlords started to pay attention to us, and it got a little easier to get new locations as we grew. We had a good team of employees and friends with us, and had a pretty good run until we had about 30 stores. When the economy crashed at the end of 2008, we had to regroup. We froze new store openings in 2009 and spent the entire year reorganizing our company structure, along with separating our personnel in different departments, such as operations, accounting, human resources, marketing, etc. We had to work harder and smarter to keep ourselves afloat.
Starting in 2010, we began to open new locations again (2 locations in 2010) and since then, we have been able to ramp up new openings each year afterwards.
Throughout the years, there are always new challenges – but we have been able to get through it because we have a strong team behind us. A lot of our employees have been with us a long time, and almost all of our store-level managers and upper managers through the director level started at the staff level in the restaurants.
We hope it continues this way.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Ono Hawaiian BBQ story. Tell us more about the business.
Ono Hawaiian BBQ is a fast casual restaurant concept with locations in California and Arizona, serving up “aloha in every bite” through their Hawaiian-inspired plate lunches and island specialties. Ono Hawaiian BBQ’s core menu features island specialties like Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Spam Musubi, Chicken Katsu and more through a fusion of Hawaiian Island, Japanese, Korean and American flavors.
What separates us from other Hawaiian concepts is our attention to quality and authenticity. Every Ono Hawaiian BBQ dish is created with fresh ingredients using authentic Hawaiian recipes, and made-to-order in each restaurant. We make our marinades from scratch and marinate our meats every day for that perfect flavor. We hand roll our Katsu in panko bread crumbs and hand cut our vegetables daily. Even our Teriyaki and Katsu sauces are made in house with our unique blend of spices.
We’re proud of this differentiation because it sets us apart from the competition. Everything is made with a passion and attention to bringing island culture here to the mainland – which we believe is accomplished through the first bite of our food. Our ultimate goal has always been to bring you a taste of the islands with exceptional service in an inviting atmosphere.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have couple and they both have to do with food and with my mom. When I was growing up in our village, there was a shack-like restaurant on the way to school which had the best porridges for a nickel. On the way to school – that’s the place my mom would take me to.
And to this day, I still think they are the best bowls I have had.
Also, on the weekends there was a guy that came through the village with a cart selling rice crepe rolls, another thing my mom would get for us, and I just couldn’t have enough of them.
Pricing:
- Ono Hawaiian BBQ’s menu ranges in price, with side items and small appetizers ranging from $3.50 to $4, with combo plates ranging anywhere from $7 to $12. So not only are you getting quality, but at an affordable cost too!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.onohawaiianbbq.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onohawaiianbbq/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnoHawaiianBBQ/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/onohawaiianbbq
Image Credit:
Ono Hawaiian BBQ
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