Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, the Kansas City-based restaurant chain with more than 35 locations, is getting ready to enter Arizona for the first time.
The company recently signed its first franchise deal with Stine Enterprises Inc. to open 75 restaurants in Arizona and North Texas, according to Kansas City Business Journal. While the specific locations have yet to be revealed, it’s more than likely the Phoenix-based franchise, led by father and son duo Steve and Adam Stine, will open at least one location in the Valley. When these locations open, customers can expect traditional Hawaiian plates that feature white rice, macaroni salad, and a choice of protein, such as Honolulu chicken or Luau pig.
“We loved the Hawaiian Bros concept, and once we met with their team, we were impressed by the level of brand sophistication,” Stine Enterprises COO Adam Stine said in a release.
Stine Enterprises was founded in 1982 by Steve Stine, who became one of the first franchise owners of Jack in the Box. The company now owns and operates 87 locations of the San Diego-based fast-casual burger restaurant. Jack in the Box and Hawaiian Bros aren’t the only restaurants coming to the Valley because of Stine Enterprises. The franchise also plans to open three new Denny’s in the Phoenix area over the next two years, with sites including Laveen, Goodyear, and Buckeye.
Brothers Cameron and Tyler McNie first opened Hawaiian Bros in 2018 to bring attention to the popular Hawaiian comfort food staple: the humble Hawaiian plate lunch. The brothers have since expanded from Kansas to Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, New York, and Texas. The company hopes its first franchise agreement with Stine Enterprises will lay the foundation for Hawaiian Bros to expand to hundreds of locations nationwide.
