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GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
From left, Eggs 'n Things owner Janice Fukunaga spoke with 30-year employee Yoshi Chong as Chong went over the day's receipts at the Kalakaua eatery yesterday afternoon. The restaurant reopened on Friday after a nearly 11-month hiatus due to fire damage.




Reopening of Waikiki’s
Eggs ’n Things has regular
customers celebrating

The favorite breakfast eatery was
closed for 11 months after a fire


By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com

Regular customers were devastated after a stove fire forced the closure of the Eggs 'n Things restaurant in Waikiki on the day after Christmas last year.

The popular eatery, known for its fluffy pancakes, omelets and crepes, was a mainstay for breakfast lovers, insomniacs and especially those in search of something to eat in the wee hours of the morning.

"I felt like someone kicked me in the stomach. I couldn't believe it," said Carol Kemmling, a customer since 1986.

Nearly 11 months after the devastating fire, the restaurant reopened Friday and served its first Sunday brunch yesterday.

"I'm so happy they're open. I can't quit grinning. Now I'm gonna tell everybody," Kemmling said.

Hostesses, waitresses and busboys worked feverishly yesterday as about 450 regulars and tourists packed the restaurant.

All but four employees returned to work last Thursday. Owner Janice Fukunaga said she paid for their medical and dental benefits until the restaurant could reopen.

"They're my family," Fukunaga said.

A stove that was left on was blamed for the fire that damaged the kitchen and interior of the restaurant.

It took a long time to reopen because of insurance problems, Fukunaga said. After the fire she discovered that the insurance did not cover the cost of replacing all of the loss. It also took a couple of months for investigators from the mainland to arrive in Honolulu to process the claim.

In the midst of dealing with the insurance company and rebuilding, Fukunaga's mother, Marjorie Clapp, died on March 18. "It took me a while to get over that," she said.

Fukunaga took out a second mortgage on her condominium and reinvested about $475,000 into her business to reopen the restaurant.

While the food remains the same, the establishment's interior has undergone a complete Hawaiian-themed renovation.

Bamboo sticks are lined over light fixtures, and historic black-and-white photos of Diamond Head, hula dancers and well-known surfer Duke Kahanamoku adorn the walls.

Pagers are now issued to customers waiting for a table.

For Nikki Speros, a 13-year hostess and cashier at Eggs 'n Things, the reopening of the restaurant was a like reunion of old friends as regular customers and employees got reacquainted.

"Seeing old faces ... it's like a family coming home," she said.

"It's been overwhelming what we had in the first three days. I feel God is definitely watching down on us and blessing us," Fukunaga said.

Another regular customer, Manoa resident Carl Ackerman, who travels to places such as Russia, Tokyo and Paris, said, "It's the best breakfast place in the United States and perhaps internationally, around the world."

Eggs 'n Things has been open since February 1974. It was originally at 436 Ena Road before it relocated in 1986 to its current location at 1911 Kalakaua Ave.

The establishment's hours will temporarily be from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays to Wednesdays and 11 p.m. to 2 p.m. from Thursdays to Sundays. Fukunaga said she plans to have the establishment return to its 11 p.m. to 2 p.m. daily schedule sometime after Jan. 1.



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