Is Kansas City’s Hawaiian Bros expanding again? It has a permit for a new spot in JoCo

Kansas City’s Hawaiian Bros Island Grill just opened a to-go only operation in Overland Park. Now it has an Olathe location in the works.

It has taken out a permit for 11928 S. Strang Line Road. Officials with Hawaiian Bros did not return phone calls seeking comment on the new location.

Hawaiian Bros offers a traditional Hawaiian plate lunch with a scoop of white rice, a scoop of macaroni salad and a protein — slow-roasted pork, grilled teriyaki chicken and sweet-and-spicy chicken.

Hawaiian Bros is also known for its Spam Musubi (rice, seared Spam, glazed in teriyaki sauce and wrapped in seaweed) and Dole Soft Serve, a tropical frozen dessert. It first opened in early 2018 in Belton.

Hawaiian Bros now has about 30 locations in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma and Texas.

A competitor, Mo’Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food, also is entering the market and previously said it would open at 119th Street and South Strang Line Road.

It first announced a spot east of 75th Street and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park that is still under construction. But Hawaiian Bros just opened a new to-go location across the street.

Hawaiian Bros scrambles to stay ahead of new Kansas City competitor. So far it’s working

According to an article earlier this month in Restaurant Business, a trade publication, the company plans to open another 15 units this year, and it is seeing average unit volumes of $4 million to $5 million.

In February, QSR, a quick service trade publication, put Hawaiian Bros on its “The 40/40 List for 2022: America’s Hottest Startup Fast Casuals.”