March 2024

Monthly News & Updates

The 2024 Hawaii Hotel & Restaurant Show was a BIG success! The industry's best and brightest products and demonstrations were on display at the Blaisdell March 20 & 21.

Check out some media coverage from the event:

KHON2 – March 20, 2024 – Hawaii Hotel & Restaurant Show takes over the Blaisdell

KHON2 – March 20, 2024 – Industry trends showcased at Hawaii Hotel and Restaurant Show

KITV4 Island News– March 17, 2024 – Hawaii Hotel & Restaurant Show This Week in Honolulu

MidWeek – March 13, 2024 – Building on good foundations

Hawaii Hotel & Restaurant Show Membership Special Offer

Did you know HRA offered a new member special during the Show? We have extended the offer to this Friday, March 29. Join and pay for one year's dues, and you will receive three months free!

Act now by visiting our website to JOIN online, or you can download and return this PDF membership application to members@hawaiirestaurant.org

This offer only happens once a year - don't miss out!

Learn About Narcan on the Latest ThinkTech Episode

Tune in to HRA's latest ThinkTech episode as Sheryl Matsuoka, Executive Director of Hawai'i Restaurant Association, hosts "Restaurants of Hawai'i" discussing Honolulu City Council's Bill 28.

Guest: Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, Councilmember District 6

Guest: Salvador Petilos, Administrator, Hawaii Liquor Commission

Guest: Aulii Hirayama, Administrative Specialist, Hawaii Liquor Commission

Guest: Nikos Leverenz, Grants & Advancements Manager, Hawai'i Health & Harm Reduction Center

"Restaurants of Hawai'i" features HRA members and guests discussing trending topics in the foodservice industry.

Check out our full playlist of past shows HERE.

Please Like, Share, Comment & Subscribe to our Channel!

We are delighted to extend a warm welcome to one of our new members, ShakaBots. As a leading innovator in restaurant technology, ShakaBots brings a wealth of expertise and solutions designed to revolutionize the dining experience in Hawaii.

ShakaBots is committed to enhancing the operational efficiency and customer satisfaction of Hawaii's restaurants through its customizable and seamlessly integrated products. Whether optimizing order processing, improving customer engagement, or providing unparalleled support and training, ShakaBots prioritizes each restaurant's unique needs.

Their dedication to compatibility and ease of integration ensures a smooth transition for restaurants, allowing them to incorporate ShakaBots' solutions seamlessly into their existing workflows. With a focus on customization and customer support, ShakaBots empowers restaurants to deliver faster service, reduce wait times, and ultimately elevate the overall dining experience for their patrons.

As a member of the Hawaii Restaurant Association, ShakaBots embodies our shared commitment to excellence and innovation within the industry. We are excited to partner with ShakaBots as we work together to support and advance the thriving restaurant community here in Hawaii.

We encourage all of our members to explore the opportunities that ShakaBots offers and to reach out to them for more information on how their solutions can benefit your restaurant.

To learn more contact Tyler Carvalho at: info@usaroboticservices.com or call 808-635-2887 or visit their website at www.shakabots.com

Check out their appearance on KITV4 "Robotic revolution takes center stage at Hawaii Hotel & Restaurant Show"

ServSafe is partnering with Technomic, a food service research company, to recruit industry professionals for paid research panels.

Join your industry peers who are getting paid to complete surveys and foodservice research. Simply sign up for Technomic’s Industry Influencer program and start getting matched with paid research opportunities that align with your background.

Funding for Small Businesses: Part 1

The Oahu Business Connector's new YouTube series dives into all aspects of funding for local companies.

In part 1, Reid Chung, a vice president at HawaiiUSA FCU, shares his insights into capital from the lender’s perspective and how small businesses can overcome barriers to getting a bank or credit union loan.

These timecodes will help each small business find information that’s most important to them:

1:20 – Understanding capital for small businesses

1:39 – Capital for the business owner

1:51 – Capital from the lender’s viewpoint

2:10 – Barriers to securing capital

4:54 – Small business loans from the lender/bank viewpoint

5:48 – Overcoming barriers to get a small business loan

9:34 – Role of a lender/banker

This video series is part of the Cityʻs Oʻahu Business Connector program.

Thank you to Renewing Corporate Partner

The Hawaii Restaurant Association is grateful for our long-time partnership with First Insurance Company of Hawaii.

Thank you, First Insurance Company of Hawaii, for your support of the food service industry, our members and the community!

Dining in the Digital Age

As traffic slows, how do restaurant operators keep and capture customers? By cracking the code of restaurant app usage, according to Revenue Management Solutions (RMS). The data analytics firm did some decoding by asking 330-plus restaurant consumers what app features were most valuable – and what turned them away.

The Psychologically Safer Alternative to Performance Reviews

4 simple questions every leader should ask

If the annual performance review period brings about stress and dysfunction in your workplace, you're not alone. Despite studies highlighting the inherent unreliability of people in objectively rating each other's performance due to biases, leaders continue to be tasked with assessing team members.

Make performance reviews more effective and less stressful with these tips.

Does Your Business Need Cyberattack Insurance?

Cyberattack insurance can help your business offset an expensive recovery from a data breach. The average cost of a breach is nearly $4.5 million, according to IBM's 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report.

This webinar from CyberHawaii will explain:

• What is cyber insurance and what does it do?
• When should a small business consider buying cyber insurance?
• What kind of cyber insurance policies are out there?

This free webinar will be on Thursday, March 28 from noon to 1 p.m.

Attend the 2024 NRA Show

The Biggest and Best Foodservice Show of the Year

Registration is open for the food service industry’s premier annual event—the National Restaurant Show. Overflowing with innovative exhibitors, inspiring programming and irreplaceable networking opportunities, the Show is a once-a-year opportunity to experience the best of foodservice and find the products and connections you need to grow and thrive. 

There are over 1,600 exhibitors already registered for the 2024 Show. Check them out in the "Show To Go"—the Show’s official digital directory—which includes updated information on all these exhibiting companies and their products. Head there now to explore suppliers and begin adding favorites to your personal profile for future reference—it’s the perfect way to start Show prep.

All Hawaii Restaurant Association Regular Members (restaurants) receive one FREE badge to the show!

Restaurant Member Companies of the National Restaurant Association receive an allotment of complimentary Expo Only registration(s) as a member benefit. All communication regarding the promotional code for registration will be emailed to the main contact in your membership record.

Identifying & Managing Employee Protected Leave

Did you know your staff may qualify for different types of protected leave?

This webinar from the Hawaiʻi Employers Council will share: 

• Best practices in identifying all protected leaves that may apply to an employee’s situation.
• Overview of federal and Hawaiʻi-protected leave laws (including, but not limited to, medical, disability, victim, and military leaves)
• Best practices to keep your company in compliance with protected leave laws.

The webinar will be April 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Free Cyber Security Check Up Valued at $5,000

Small businesses can get a free cyber security assessment with Cyber Safe Hawaii.

DBEDT is offering this professional assessment - valued at over $5,000 - at no cost to a limited number of Hawaiʻi small businesses through a grant from the SBA.