Troubles mount across Hawaii restaurants including legal, staffing, inflation, food, shipping, opening hours, and more.
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37 thoughts on “Wide-Ranging Problems Rock Iconic Hawaii Restaurants & Visitors”
Troubles mount across Hawaii restaurants including legal, staffing, inflation, food, shipping, opening hours, and more.
This is exactly why we stay at Westin Nanea which has a full sized kitchen and laundry in each unit. We’ve been traveling to Hawaii since 1999 and we’ve ditched hotels that have no kitchen. We love looking around the island for fresh local foods and then learning how to cook it. We have saved thousands of $ by buying local groceries and using one of the many outdoor grills at Nanea to eat fresh seafood daily. People just don’t know how to travel smart.
Thank you for sharing the issues that Hawaii restaurants are currently facing. We will heed your suggestions on confirming their hours of operation before venturing out. Mahalo🙏
While I appreciate your reporting this disturbing news it is also important to highlight the underlying problem in Hawaii. Tourism is both the lifeblood and the poison of the islands. Visitors must be prepared to spend a little more to enjoy paradise. Politicians must do more to protect small businesses and the indigenous population. I have friends on kauai and fortunate to have visited often most recently 8/22. It’s about time controlled visits with fees in place to protect fragile eco. Yes cost more but small price to protect a US treasure. Hawaii should be placed on unesco list.
A resto in Ward village funny they charge Kitchen surcharge what that mean no idea please tell if you found out
This has been happening in tourist areas for years now. The rents are too high for food service workers to afford, so many areas cannot attract help without providing housing, which of course is impossible in Hawaii. One thing many restaurants transitioned into: you order your food and drinks before you sit down… which streamlines how many employees they need. Might be an option for now at least
Perhaps if the restaurant owners treated staff fairly and stopped stealing wages???
Sounds like they made their bed. Time to shut it down, and start with fair honest employers.
It isn’t just food prices. It is the cost of everything. Hawaii used to be very affordable for everyone. No longer is this the case. Gas and food prices I get to a degree. But the add on fees to 99% of hotels in Waikiki and parking fees and car rental fees, where the taxes often exceed the daily car rental price alone. Add $120 a day before you pay airfare and the cost of your room. Just the fees and taxes if you rent a car for your whole stay, which I always have will be $125 to $150 a day, plus the average cost of a room $150 a day or more and airfare.
I have been to the islands 26 times living in LA, since 1986. But not since 2013. I am sure my last trip will surely be my last, because of the incredibly expensive place it has become. M
We just returned from the Big Island and wait times was longer than usual at most popular restaurants. But then again it was Ironman week in Kailua-Kona…but restaurants were complaining of being short staffed too.
I worked in the service industry in the late 1960’s and the issues being addressed here were the same. We had to sleep in shifts, but at least we got fed. With tears in my eyes, I had to move back to the Mainland. During the years have visited as much as possible, but unfortunately now, it has priced me out. Aloha
This maybe a problem everywhere in the mainland but here in hawaii especially the outer islands housing plays a big part in staff shortages. Alot of food and beverage workers was at one point transplants and locals seeing a 1 or 2 day aweek job. With a single room costing $1300 a month transients wanting to live and work in “paradise” is not a option. Hopefully one day there will be a balance in housing and wages.
CL, I agree with your comment. I’m not seeing the young people, who were obviously from the the mainland, working on Maui at all. Housing is scarce and has skyrocketed. This seems to be happening everywhere, but is really apparent here.
BOH, thanks for another interesting article.
Lanell
Hi Lanell.
Thank you Lanell for all of your input!
Aloha.