Hawai‘i restaurant awards open

The Hawai‘i Restaurant Association has opened nominations for its 2026 Hall of Fame and Restaurant Industry Awards, starting this year’s recognition cycle for chefs, restaurateurs and industry leaders. (bigislandnow.com) The association said nominees should be people who made “lasting, substantial and distinctive contributions” to Hawai‘i’s restaurant and food-service business. Its Hall of Fame program has honored operators, chefs and executives for nearly two decades. (bigislandnow.com, hawaiirestaurant.org) The Hawai‘i Restaurant Association’s website says the 2025 class included Scott Dodd of Luana Hospitality Group, Robynne Maii of Fête and Mille Fête, Rick Nakashima of Ruby Tuesday Hawaii and Rainbow Drive-In Kalihi, Kelvin Ro of Diamond Head Market, and Bobby Lou Yeackel of Buzz’s Original Steak House. The 2025 induction gala was the association’s 17th annual event. (hawaiirestaurant.org, hawaiirestaurant.org) The awards sit inside a broader trade-group effort to support restaurant operators on labor, training, advocacy and member services. The association says it works on issues at the Capitol and runs education and workforce programs tied to food-service jobs. (hawaiirestaurant.org) That industry backdrop is a big part of why these awards exist. The association says restaurants in Hawai‘i are dealing with labor shortages, healthcare costs and wage pressure while trying to recruit and keep workers. (hawaiirestaurant.org) The Hall of Fame is the top honor, while the group also runs employee recognition awards through its nomination system. On its site, the association says those awards cover front-of-house and back-of-house workers and include a New Restaurant of the Year category. (hawaiirestaurant.org, hawaiirestaurant.org) The recognition program has grown into a regular fall event at the Sheraton Waikiki, where the 2025 gala paired the induction ceremony with a “Chefs of Aloha” dine-around. Event proceeds also supported the Hawai‘i Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. (hawaiirestaurant.org) For restaurant owners and kitchen staffs, the immediate step is simple: nominations are now open, and the association is asking the industry to decide who joins the next class of honorees. (bigislandnow.com)