Fellows mentioned in this story: Elisia Flores

From Hawai‘i Business Magazine:

Even in the best of times, operating a restaurant in Hawaiʻi is a delicate balance of dozens of input costs against constantly shifting customer preferences and their own affordability constraints that limit what restaurants can charge.

Now the challenges are rising exponentially, as owners are hit with price increases across the board, from fuel price hikes for transportation, increased food and other input costs, rising salary costs, scarce labor due to the immigration crackdown, rising franchise fees, higher insurance and rental charges and more.

Yet with customers facing their own household budget constraints, restaurateurs who pass on costs by raising food prices risk alienating the very people who keep them in business.

“Running a restaurant is one of the hardest jobs that somebody can do,” says Elisia Flores, CEO of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, which has more than 200 franchisees.

Restaurant owner-operators are often in a hot, fast-paced kitchen for long hours, directing staff and serving customers from morning till night, then going home to face other tasks, like bookkeeping, scheduling and ordering. Many repeat this routine almost every day, including holidays.

Even for those who can keep up that pace, it’s an incredibly tough industry.

Hawaii Business Magazine talked with owners of local restaurants, large and small, as well as their advocates to find out how they endure, evolve and excel, and sometimes fail.

Continue reading at HawaiiBusiness.com.