ppp

Aloha KBAT FANS,

I am pretty sure not many read this, but it does give me a forum (and peace of mind) to know I have done my best to keep our FANS informed. If you do read it, please share it. During this time one of the most meaningful things you can do to support your neighborhood eatery is to simply read and share their digital media posts. Think of it as a virtual visit.

Many of you have probably already heard the stories about the mythical PPP program. The program implemented by the federal government aimed to keep folks working. The program, thus far has proven elusive for Kohala Burger and Taco.

In the middle part of the month I was feeling optimistic that the loan would come through and that we would at least be able to bring back up to 4 employees (we used to have 11) and get the doors and phones open everyday. I felt as though, ours, was a brand new business, which was finally showing the signs that we were poised to grow a little. Laying out plans, schedules and new operating hours, ran through my head the past 10 days. The vision of reawakening my Surf Burger concept & creating new menu offerings for Rib Night were all but a folly. The reality is we are out of operating capitol and we simply can not do it everday, with the current staff resources financially available.

Yes, I have had so much support from my son, Connor and the undying loyalty of my Lead Cook, Lindsay which has made possible what we have done up to this point. But I am also out of the emotional gas required to keep up the current pace. The reality is we will have to cut back instead of push forward.

We will be working on the new KBAT schedule today and plan on having it posted later this afternoon.

Thank you for reading, sharing and caring!

Chef Cary

update

Aloha KBAT FANS

What a world we live in now.

Seems that in just 2 short weeks the new normal is not normal at all. We have been working to innovate our operations as best as we can. We have added a Zero Contact payment button to our web page, which allows for telephone orders and curbside “zero contact” pick up..

Our Friday Night is Rib Night promotion so far is an ongoing success. Thank you for your orders.

We plan on operating with a limited schedule for the week of April 20th -26th. We will be posting that in the next few days.

We plan on opening Kohala Burger and Taco for telephone orders 7 days a week beginning Monday April 27th, Telephone orders for KBAT may be made 9:30am - 6:00pm. All telephone orders will require Zero Contact payment and will be offered from a new limited menu only.

We also plan on re-opening (or getting back to) our Surf Burger concept for basic carry out orders soon.

Please stay tuned as some of these changes will be implemented sooner, but we plan on rolling out the entire new program by Monday April 27th.

Mahalo

Chef Cary .

we wanna work!

Aloha KBAT FANS,

I actually had a few people read my last post and send me some really great ideas and feed back! MAHALO!

We are prepared to ride this thing out as long as you continue to visit. We were especially motivated by your incredible “generosity” and appreciation of our service yesterday.

Looks like many people enjoyed the $10 Fresh Mahi Fish and Chips, that sold out in an hour! Fresh, Local, Line Caught Fish is very affordable right now. We are planning great specials everyday.

As you can imagine this is a very fluid situation, and things are changing daily not only at KBAT but around the world. In the coming months we are not only going to have to worry about our own health and economy, but we will probably be called upon to assist around the globe.

This truly is a time of service and we are ready! Several Kohala Burger and Taco staff members have already came back to work on a moments notice the minute I asked for help. I often preach to staff that the attitude we bring with us to work, must be an attitude, of one who is ready to serve. Never have I seen this more prevalent than in this time, we are truly grateful to have a community and guests to serve.

So mostly I just do Instagram these days, I have followed closely the progression of several Big Island eateries and noticed that at least 4 more, just yesterday had opted to close. And meanwhile in the real (not digital) world…A visit yesterday, after work, to one of Kawaihae’s most popular haunts, showed two chef’s dressed and ready to work, but closing down before dinner, rather that prepping for service, as the past few days offered them no carry-out demand.

The KBAT Team is fully prepared to meet the demand if it presents itself. We wanna serve, so put us to the test and put a few of your neighbors back to work.

We look forward to serving you.

Mahalo

Chef Cary

so..where are we now?

Aloha KBAT FANS

I wanted to take a moment to give you a quick look at how and what we are doing so far, as we work through this crisis.

We began to experience a significant sales erosion around the weekend of March 7th. That slide continued through St. Patrick’s Day. During that period of 10 days we had already missed our projections by almost $10,000.

At that point it became clear, that Wednesday March 18th was going to be a difficult day. The math indicated that we would be unable to meet our payroll due on April 3rd. As a business owner I felt that it would be irresponsible for me to continue to employ my staff if there was a chance payroll obligations could not be met. The very difficult decision was made that all non salaried employees would be terminated and paid out vacation plus an additional check including a special 2 day paycheck. I wanted to put as much of the money I had, at the time, in the hands of my employees. This also allowed them to immediately begin the process of filing for the government help they deserve. Employees were offered an opportunity to come back to work as casual status when and if hours allowed. Thanks to the support of our guests, several of these employees have already been able to collect some hours.

Along with my salaried Kitchen Shift Leader and my Son (who was crisis furloughed from his job in California the week earlier, but also worked many hours as a teenager in KBAT) we transitioned to 100% Carry-Out service.

We have implemented the state’s guidelines for safe and essential food service operations. We are only allowing three guests at a time in the shop at one time along with designated tape lines for safer distancing. Our new procedures even include a chlorine based hand sanitizing station at our entry and before coming into contact with the staff or anything in our store. We have even turned away several guests (a.k.a. Jerks) who refused to sanitize their hands.

After discussion with our local suppliers we have made the decision to reduce the menu and utilize the community produced products made here on Big Island.. We have also significantly reduced the menu to reflect the availability of these items. Prices have also been reduced considerably in order to better accommodate our FANS and neighbors who are also struggling through this pandemic shutdown.

So…where are we now? The plain truth is, the rest is up to you…if there is no local demand (with the Governor’s new order, that’s all that will be here beginning tomorrow) for our product it simply makes no sense to keep the lights on.

Over the past week I have seen the progression and digression of many local restaurants. First they started to let you know they were cleaning, then they had less tables and were taking fewer reservations, then they were offering great prices, then they had a whole new take out program…..then they were closed. Restaurant closures irregardless of situation, share one thing in common, lack of business. Due to the nature of the business it is more profitable to close than to continue operations. Food , our inventory left unsold is either thrown away or requires the nation’s most expensive electricity to preserve.

So…what can you do?

-Call our info hotline daily 808-880-1923 x1 and LISTEN to the message.

-Let your friends and family know when we are open and how we are operating. Spread the word, if you can’t visit, PLEASE refer someone who can.

-Follow us on social media… we use Instagram @KohalaBurger and @SurfBurgerHawaii like, comment and share our posts.

-Pick a day or evening this week and plan your meal to be “carry-out” from Kohala Burger, we guarantee your meal to it to be TASTIER, FASTER, SAFER & LESS EXPENSIVE than a visit to Grocery store.

-This also gives YOU the opportunity to keep us going AND keeps YOUR LOCAL-BIG ISLAND Farmers, Fishers, Bakers & Tortilla Makers in business instead of a giant mainland grocery supplier.

-If we are not doing enough now PLEASE text us at 808-895-7339 and let us know what products or services we could provide to earn your business during this crisis.

We are taking this thing day by day. Here is what we know now. Due to the past few days sales levels and lack of demand we are closing today Wednesday March 25,

We will re-open Thursday March 26th 11:30am-3:30pm

Friday March 27th hours are 11:30am-7:30pm.

Mahalo and all the best, stay safe, pray,

Chef Cary

operating update

Aloha KBAT FANS:

Effective Thursday March 19th we have transitioned to 100% Carry-Out orders. We are operating day by day as new information and directives become available.

We are obviously operating with limited staff and in some cases limited supplies. We are also working closely with our local Big Island, Vendor Partners to ensure a safe and sufficient supply to keep us rolling as long as is safe and allowed by law. As we continue to operate you can continue to expect Hawaii’s Best Burgers and Fish Tacos, created with Big Island Beef, Local Line Caught Fish, Standard Bakery Premium Brioche Buns & Big Island Mexican Foods Tortillas, hand cut veggies, homemade dressings and salsas.

We have several initiatives that we are working on in order to help us and you, our guest, through this crisis.

Firstly we are announcing a simple Cash Discount. It has been designed to maximize our product capability limited capacity and efficiency. It reduces packaging, labor and bank fees. The program is scheduled to launch today (March 20, 2020) beginning 3:30pm to 5:30pm. This limited menu has basically been discounted to near cost, as our way to support our neighbors for an easy and delicious take home dinner. Simply packaged in 100% Compostable materials, you will get our most popular Original Cheese-Burger with Fries for only $6.00. For a small additional fee you can order them with fixings on the side for easy re-heat and assemble at your convenience later. We are asking that you respect your neighbors and our staff by limiting your orders to a maximum of 8ea. per household.

We have been fielding many UN-necessary telephone calls over the past several days. We are operating on a very limited staff, as we are taking precautions with anyone who feels even the slightest bit ill. Please call 808-880-1923 x1 to hear updates and get information about what is happening today at KBAT. Please ONLY PRESS 0 if you are prepared to place a telephone order. We do not answer the phone if we are currently serving another guest. We appreciate any ALOHA you can throw our way!

I am praying for a quick and speedy recovery for our Aina. II CHRON 7:14

God Bless

Chef Cary

notice

March 18, 2020

 Aloha KBAT FANS!

We are in process of re-evaluating our systems, in order to create the safest service environment possible.

 Kohala Burger and Taco is committed to servicing our community.  Please stay tuned to our Social Media. Our Instagram is @KohalaBurger and of course please visit our website KohalaBurger.com. With new government mandates and recommendations arriving regularly, we plan on operating as long as is allowed by law.  

 In the coming days you can expect:

-Safe and Smooth Carry-Out Service
-Discounted “on-line” Gift Certificate Purchase Program

-Local Area Delivery

-A limited menu supporting our Big Island vendor partners

-Daily “BOX-LUNCH” and dinner take-away specials

-Reduced Price, limited Burger Menu for our CASH paying guests 

Thank you for your patronage, we appreciate all the support and ALOHA you can throw our way.

 Mahalo

KBAT Crew and Chef Cary

bacon lover's get lucky 2020

WINTER...IS HERE!

Aloha FANS,

I Hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season and is roaring into the new year! I also wanted to let you know that today we begin our winter menu. I think you are going to love the value prices and simplicity.

Over the holidays, while we were feeding the masses… it gave me an opportunity to really look at our menu statistics. Having the compressed time frame and giant sampling data it allows for many revelations.

I understand that KBAT can’t be everything to everybody, but I have always tried to offer a range of menu items that appeal to the “entire family”. Now for the “epiphany” what the folks dining at Kohala Burger and Taco really want is basic Grass Fed Beef Burgers and Fresh Fish Tacos., with a fresh fish salad or the occasional burger patty on lettuce, thrown in every other couple hundred orders. So….

The Winter Menu is a reflection of those buying habits. Please take a few moments to check it out, it is up on our web site now. I also want to encourage you to check out our Instagram pages @KohalaBurger or @SurfBurgerHawaii

BECAUSE…our new simple menu is going to give us ample opportunity to create even more killer specials and make more “Insta-Offers” for our followers. We really hope that the foodies and gourmands will enjoy and appreciate our culinary efforts

Mahalo for your support,

Chef Cary

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Aloha FANS.

We are looking forward to seeing many of you over this holiday season. Please be sure to check out our new holiday menu, which begins December 21, 2019. We have brought back a few of the classics and trimmed in some areas that are too prep intensive. We still have the BBQ Ribs through Super Bowl, but will now be offering them on the Sundays, Playoffs and Big Game College Days.

Many of our guests over the years have done their best to change menu items to fit new eating habits. We have done this for you in our New FRESH & FIT BOWLS. The meals are gluten free and high in protein. They are also Keto friendly and contain no nightshade. We have been offering these items since the Summer Menu and quiet honestly they don’t really sell. So this holiday season is your chance to support these items and help keep them on the menu. The Bowls are made with Triple Washed Mainland Greens (no rat lung) and topped with Chef’s delicious Whole Grain Mustard and Avocado Oil Dressing. The Fresh Fish Bowl also comes with house made Lemon Honey Cucumber and Fresh Avocado Smash. If you want to eat clean KBAT is the place.

We are still working towards our “no-plastic” goals, and have made great strides in replacing all plastic packaging. We wanted to remind you that if you plan on drinking water at KBAT we no longer offer plastic water bottles. We encourage you to bring your own vessel and fill up with our ice cold filtered tap. AND YES…WE STILL CHARGE .50 if you need a cup, the water is free but we ask that you help cover the expenses of shipping compostable cups from the mainland. Please remember to bring your own grocery bags when shopping in Hawaii and your own drinking cups when eating fast casual.

In a hurry! Need Burgers, Fries and Frosties Fast? Be sure to check out our newly renovated Express space…SURF BURGER! Great Prices, everything boxed for easy carry-out, all packaging compostable. Visit https://SurfBurger.com for menus and operating hours.

See you soon.

KBAT Crew

what's up?

Aloha KBAT FANS,

We have been busy and we are excited to bring you Surf Burger. Yes it is still “Coming Soon” but now sooner than ever, we are expecting to be open by Thanksgiving, We hope you will enjoy the simple menu with lower prices, and all packaged for carry-out in compostable materials. Look to try our new fun and fresh fruit Frosties which will be the new craze in shakes but are a bit lower in fat and lactose free.

We plan on opening Surf Burger at 9am so you can grab a few of our tasty, made to order Dawn Patrol items like our famous Egg Sandwich or the new Russet Rooster it’s like a loco…but on fries! Yum!

In the meantime we have been working on the KBAT Dining Room too, we have expanded seating and are making headway on our company wide “no plastic” conversion. We at KBAT have made a decision to go further in addressing the planet’s plastic crisis. Some of you know that in 2012 we were awarded with the Recycle Hawaii’s Keeping it Green Award , but with the disturbing news that Hawaii will be eliminating the bulk plastic recycle program we knew we needed to do more and to act quickly. Although it is impossible to eliminate all together and all at once, we make strides everyday. We no longer carry bottled water in plastic, we have changed all carry out cups to an “eco green” compostable brand. This obviously has increased some costs but we are doing our best to only pass it on to those who want it. For example if you really need your sauce on the side, you will get a larger portion of our home made sauce but you will be charged .50 for the eco cup. Hey, we still have cold filtered “Kawaihae Tap” for free, bring your own vessel…but if you need a cup it’s still .50. If you really need a bottled water we now offer Acqua Panna, delicious but pricey! We also look carefully at what people eat and send back unused, so now we will be offering sauces for purchase for those who need them, on some keiki and regular menu items. On a few of these items the menu prices have decreased with the option of purchasing a sauce.

The great news is that we have also worked hard with our vendors and our procedures to lower some of our food product costs and thus (although labor costs continue to rise) we are still able to offer our BEST VALUE - Fully Loaded Standard Burger with Fries and a Coca Cola Fountain Drink for only $12.99 and our Famous Original Burger with 100% Hawaii Grass Fed Beef, Fresh Baked Brioche Bun, Fresh Cut Veggies and Homemade Sauce for only $7.99.

We look forward to serving you. Please follow us on Instagram @KohalaBurger and @SurfBurgerHawaii

NEW CHAPTER

Aloha FANS!

Today (Sept 29, 2019) is the last day of our "current" technology programs
at Kohala Burger and Taco.

Today ends our rewards emails and is also the end of the on-line ordering program.

We look forward to serving you "In-Person" !!

Renovations for our Kohala Burger "Express" are underway and we look forward to bringing you an exciting new concept in Quick Service Restaurants.

Our Dining Hall remains open daily at 11am while our renovations are being completed.
For future KBAT News, Offers and Info, we encourage you to
FOLLOW us on Instagram @KohalaBurger

With the elimination of some monthly technology costs; we plan on offering an everyday lower priced QSR model in our previous "Express" space, while continuing work towards providing
a real living wage of $20 per hour for our staff.
We appreciate your support and look forward to serving you soon.
A reminder we are closed for Ironman.
Mahalo

Chef Cary and KBAT Crew

the end of on-line ordering

from the coconut hotline……

Aloha KBAT FANS,

first off...don't worry we are still OPEN DAILY, but please read.
Well...we've given it 2 years and it just has not caught on!
We have closed our EXPRESS concept!

KBAT will be discontinuing on-line express ordering
(effective September 28, 2019).

We have begun renovations on our EXPRESS space
and we are excited to bring you...
a newly renovated space and an exciting new concept!
We wanted to send a BIG ISLAND MAHALO to all of you who HAVE

and continue to support the on-line ordering program..

we apologize that it has to go away.

Although we will trim the on-line menu offerings (effective 9-7-19)

the system will continue to be operational through Sept 28, 2019.
LOOK FOR the GREATEST on-line DEALS EVER
at kohalaburger.com
Our Loaded STANDARD BURGER EXPRESS MEALS
starting at JUST $8.99
YES! Fries, Drink & Burger $8.99
REMEMBER we are still OPEN DAILY
and you can order for "here" "to-go" or "pick-up"

comfortably in our DINING HALL which is still OPEN DAILY at 11am
New FALL HOURS

MON-FRI 11am - 3:30pm

SAT-SUN 11am - 5:30pm

Oh, and by the way if you've read this far
we have a P/T Cashier position open
it pays $20 per hour, apply in person :)

Mahalo from the KBAT Crew.

HAVE YOU TRIED 5 AFTER 5?

We have been running this exciting promotion since April and time is running out. We wanted to be sure to remind everyone that the $5 Burgers, $5 Fish Tacos, $5 Milk-Shakes deals are ending July 5th. But if you come now after 5pm Tuesday - Friday…you can still get ‘em through July 5, 2019. We hope to see you soon.

GAME ON...GET LUCKY 2019 IS HERE! WILL YOU BE EATING FREE FOR THE YEAR?

It’s that time of year again. Time to Get Lucky at KBAT. Hundreds of prizes and your chance to win free for the year. A prize worth over $1,000. We’ll admit this is a hard prize to win but it can be done. The Davis’s enjoyed lunch on us every week in 2018 and loved every burger and taco of it. There are two things you’ve got to do if you want to win. You have to check-in at Kohala Burger and Taco March 2 thru March 16 to get your entry. Then you have to bring it back on March 17th St. Patrick’s Day. All the luck o’ the Irish to ya!

We are working to restore telephone and on line systems

On December 26, 2108 at about 2pm we experienced internet failure. We were able to restore the systems by about 3pm but they failed again shortly after. Our telephones, Credit Card Payment Systems, and On-line order systems require the internet in order to function. We will be open today Dec 27…cooking food and taking cash even if we are unable to restore internet functions. We apologize for the inconvenience.

on-line ordering & express

Aloha KBAT FANS,

Let me first say Happy Holidays! I am so glad that we have made it back to the season. Things got a bit “dicey” there with the scary mainland press about the volcano and those “big hurricanes”. Seriously…we barely made it, thank you for your support!

I want to remind our regular and new guests, that during the holiday season our on-line order system will be the place where you can beat the holiday crowd and the “holiday prices”.

Beginning December 1, 2018 we will begin updating our on-line order “menu” to reflect only our most popular items, this will streamline the processes and allow us to offer more discounted menu items. Look for them sometime between Dec 1st and Dec 21st.

Our in-house holiday menu will be in effect Dec 21, 2018 to Jan 8, 2019. Some regular menu items may be discontinued during this time and PRICES will reflect our increased “holiday related” costs. Since two holidays fall on Taco Tuesday we will be offering our famous Crunchy Beef Tacos EVERY DAY during the holiday season, every day is Taco Tuesday while Holiday Menus and pricing are in effect. Our Hawaii Grass Fed Beef Crunchy Tacos offer a great value! Get DOS TACOS for only 7.99 or DOS TACOS MEAL DEAL (with fries and a Coke) for only 11.99. Taco Tuesday and other daily walk-in specials are NOT available for on-line ordering.

PLEASE REMEMBER that the on-line order process is designed to work best… when you order well BEFORE you arrive. Sometimes the simple processing of your on-line payment can take up to 5-10 minutes (it’s the internet). Then we have to make your food and it is made to order in the order (or the time YOU requested) as it is received. Please allow min. 25-30 minutes for pick-up. You may also want to place your order early (on line ordering opens at 10:35am) much like “reservations” a limited number of pick-up “time slots” exist and many peak-time slots (11:45am - 2:30pm) may have already been filled with other guest orders. It’s a first come first serve system.

Finally we have found the system to be very reliable! HOWEVER …we do not manage, fix or “trouble-shoot” the internet, your smart phone, your laptop or THE ON-LINE ORDER SYSTEM (it’s the internet) This service is made possible by a “third party provider” NOT KBAT! We all need to understand that it is not perfect! The discounts provided on-line are found ONLY on-line, if the system is down or you simply can’t work it, regular menu prices apply when ordering by telephone or in person. If you can not use the program you may call 808-880-1923 ext.9 to be transferred to the Revel Systems Help Desk or we will be happy to transfer your on-line ordering “trouble call” to ext.9. If you are receiving an error or forbidden 403 or 408 this is a device issue which could be many, many things. Call your device provider, try another device or order from a desktop. If there is a problem with the system… only the Help Desk can fix it or they may let you know when it might be fixed.

Sometimes in Hawaii the internet is down…like a few weeks ago when a truck took out the overhead lines in Kawaihae. When the internet is down in Kawaihae, on-line ordering won’t work! So if you want to eat and we are open and a crew member helps you, regular menu prices will apply. Please do not hassle KBAT staff about your on-line ordering issues or problems we apologize but we do not have the capability to solve them.

Mahalo for your patronage we look forward to seeing you this holiday season.

Chef Cary and the KBAT Crew.

Loyalty and Rewards

Aloha KBAT FANS,

In 2012 we worked closely with a cutting edge mobile marketing company to bring you our KBAT Loyalty and Rewards program. The company, Echo Daily, had produced technology that worked on a tablet which allowed our guests to “sign-up” and “check-in” to get points, rewards and special offers from Kohala Burger and Taco.

The founder of this company passed away in May of 2017. His son’s have been involved in the organization since it’s early beginnings and continue to run the operation today. However as technology races forward they found themselves in a situation where they lacked necessary resources to maintain the databases and programming needed to remain current. The program began to encounter communication issues in the spring of 2018 and became mostly un-functional by summer of 2018. We have been without a program since then.

I am happy to announce that we have partnered with “5 Stars” to once again bring you a cutting edge rewards program and offer a streamlined mobile communications program.

Technicians are working to build our new systems and integrate as much of your existing member information as possible. Our goal is to have the new program in place by Thanksgiving 2018.

We look forward to your next “Check-In”

Mahalo,

Chef Cary

MOBILE REWARDS COMING SOON

Look For Our New Hours!

Aloha KBAT FANS!

Effective October 8, 2015

We’ve got some great news!! By popular demand we are going to be extending our late afternoon hours. This will give you more time to “get off the beach” or “pau” work and still have time to grab an early dinner or late lunch at KBAT. We will be open daily until 5:30pm.

We will also be expanding our “on-line ordering” to allow ordering as late as 4:50pm for pick up times as late as 5:25pm. Imagine ordering on-line and feeding the whole family of 4 for under $40. You’ll be a hero when you get home with a big bag of our Tasty Grass Fed Beef Burgers, Fries and ice cold Cokes!

A few other changes to make note of: We will no longer be open until 7:30pm we will be closing at 5:30pm. Our posted Holiday Hours will remain the same, which is our 11am-4pm abbreviated Holiday Service. (Please refer to Holiday Hours)

Our Dining Hall and Goody Shop will be open Noon-5:30pm, Thursday - Tuesday. The Dining Hall and Goody Shop will be closed on Wednesdays. Wednesdays will be Express Service Only!

Typically our “Express Side” will be open 11:00am-3:00pm, Thursday - Tuesday and 11:00am-5:30pm on Wednesdays. Look for some exciting specials and additional deep discounts when you order “on-line” Wednesdays.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

If you haven’t tried ordering our Express Burgers “On-Line” yet we encourage you to check it out, it is the Big Island’s Best Food Value! Handcrafted and Chef Made High Quality Food…Fast Food Prices!

We have anew menu and a few new policies

under the circus tent!

Aloha KBAT FANS,

The Kawaihae Shopping Center will be closed for fumigation May 14-16, 2018. In preparation for the closure we have been running down our inventory and we apologize if your favorite menu item is not available.

Our plan is to "re-build" our store and perishable food inventories beginning Wednesday May 16, however many of our vendor partners do dot deliver to Kawaihae until Friday, so some items may remain out of stock until Friday afternoon May 18, 2018.

As some of you know the Kawaihae Center was put into a receivership several years ago. This came after many many years of property owner neglect. The space once known as Tres Hombres (My first Chef Job, circa 1991) was left abandoned and vacant in the summer of '09 (I think).  It's open air construction has lent to a serious termite problem and this closure has now reached a point of becoming unavoidable. 

I just wanted to let you know what's was happening under the tent!

See you next week and thank you for your support.

Chef Cary