Fond Hawaiian Memories

So long memories . . .

Photo borrowed from Pinterest

Many restaurants have closed over the years in Hawaii and I am so glad that someone took the time to start listing them. The food was so good in Hawaii when I was growing up and it's because of many of the restaurants on this list.  It might make you sad, but I guarantee it will bring back some good memories if you were in Hawaii in the old days. Maybe you remember some restaurants that need to be added. 

Tops Restaurant closed down - my first date. Nick's Fishmarket closed down - my first real job. Coco's for late night dining. McCully Chop Suey where the family ate a lot. So many memories!  I would love to hear which ones were your favorites that closed down? I didn't see Rainbow Drive-in or Zippy's on there, so I hope they are still cooking. I was sad to hear about the Yum Yum Tree by Kahala Mall closing down. They had so many pies and they were all delicious! It was hard to make a decision sometimes! That was my last job in Hawaii and on my last night, they pied me in the face - tradition.  I had chocolate syrup in my eyes and whipped cream in my hair until I got home and took a shower. That is a weird feeling! We laughed a lot though! The Yum Yum Tree had quality service figured out. First, they built the restaurant by a shopping mall. What do you want when you're done shopping, a snack!  Second, they provided outdoor seating. Where do you want to sit when you're in Hawaii? Outside, of course, because it's beautiful there. But, they also had inside seating if you preferred that. Third, they had coffee shop type food, but they also had a huge variety of pies so customers could have their favorite pie or eventually just try all of them. Lastly, they hired fun, friendly servers who provided great service.  Quality Service lesson:  Figure out what makes your customers happy and give them a variety to choose from!

Only Cows Know Why They Stampede

What is she thinking?

Make your business interesting - nobody likes boring! At an upcoming conference, one of the sessions is titled, "The Cowboy's Essential Guide to Leadership or Only Cows Know Why They Stampede."  That's an interesting title. The other sessions during that time slot are: "Nutrition for a Stressful Workplace" and "Setting Up a Facilities Management Apprenticeship Program for Seamless Succession Planning." Which session do you think will have the best attendance? The Cowboy session still gets the point across that the session is about Leadership, but it adds some excitement with the Cow Stampede. Quality Service lesson:  Give your customers some excitement. Nobody wants to be bored! 

My Favorite Catamaran Ride 

The guys who ran the catamaran rides on Waikiki beach were really cool so when they didn't have a full load, they would ask if we wanted to go for a ride. I loved the rides, but I would usually get cold because you get wet when the boat hits the waves and the water splashes over the bow. As long as it's a sunny day, you dry off pretty quickly. The boat goes out where the water is dark blue so it's a good way to see the coastline and see the darker ocean waters and sea life. One day, they just had a few customers, so they asked if my friend and I wanted to go for a ride. When we got to the deeper waters, the guys decided they should troll for fish while we enjoyed the ride. Well, they caught two really nice tunas and when we got back to the beach, they cut up the tuna and someone ran for some soy sauce and mustard and we had sashimi right there on the beach while enjoying the warming rays of the sun. That was the life! And here are some recipes for tuna (also known as aku or ahi).  Quality Service lesson:  Give them a unique experience that they will remember forever. 


Remember - every day is Aloha Friday! Take the Aloha Spirit with you wherever you go and make it a good one!