Page 2 - Dining Out - Feb 13, 2022

Restaurant Insider with Anne Lee
ANNE LEE speaks with Zippy’s director of culinary operations chef TREVOR LUKE
No matter where you are in the world, and whether you’ve lived or visited Ha- waii, hearing the name Zippy’s will definitely make your mouth water, bringing back a sense of nostalgia. Celebrating 57 years this October, this locally owned and operated restaurant sells over 100 tons of its famous chili every month. With 24
locations on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island (and coming soon to Las Vegas), this iconic restaurant is constantly evolving, keeping our favorite dishes coming and includ- ing new monthly specials.
To keep up with this demand, chef Trevor Luke, director of culi- nary operations, oversees a kitchen staff to ensure that each restaurant
location can deliver a wonderful, consistent dining experience ev- ery day.
We met in the Ohana Room at the Makiki location and shared some of his favorite dishes, as we talked about the upcoming collaborations and the Mahalo May give-back program, a benefit for four local nonprofits in Hawaii.
AL: Let’s talk about the evolution of Zippy’s restaurants. What key items from the beginning have changed or been enhanced over the years?
TL: Zippy’s has always been about serving the comfort foods of Ha- waii. From the very beginning, brothers Francis and Charlie Higa knew that one of the staples of
SPECIAL SECTIONS MANAGER
Nicole Monton Phone: 808-529-4857
Photos by
LAWRENCE TABUDLO
local-style eating was saimin. In fact, some people may recall that the very first dine-in restaurant was originally called the “Saimin Lanai,” in reference to the open- air area that was behind the first Zippy’s in McCully. On that lanai, they served saimin and teri beef sticks. That Saimin Lanai gradu- ally started to serve some of the
SALES MANAGER
Anne Lee
Phone: 808-347-1093 alee@staradvertiser.com
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