TheBuzz
TheBuzz
Expand, Forrest, expand!
Expansion is progressing for the restaurant chain inspired by the 1994 movie "Forrest Gump." California-based Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant and its sister-concept, Mai Tai Bar, are on the move.The chain will open four stores on the mainland in the next 18 months and is "planning to do more restaurants in Hawaii," said President Scott Barnett.
Barnett called the island stores a very important part of the company.
"Maui is our No. 1 restaurant ... companywide," he said.
"We have been very fortunate with the business we do there and, frankly, with the friends we've made there." He visits Hawaii regularly, he said.
"We are thinking that Oahu could support another restaurant, and we're also looking into Kauai," Barnett told TheBuzz. "We think there's room for two more Mai Tai Bars in the islands and two more Bubba Gumps."
There are no signed leases for additional Hawaii properties at the moment, despite being "close on one a week and a half ago," Barnett said.
He didn't divulge details but said other possibilities are being explored.
The Mai Tai Bar in Ala Moana Center is the only one of its kind right now, but the company will soon open another location in Daytona Beach, Fla., which will be separate from the Bubba Gump restaurant.
Of its 11 locations in seven states and in Osaka, Japan, Bubba Gump has three Hawaii stores: at Ala Moana Center, in Kailua-Kona on Alii Drive and on Maui, on Lahaina's Front Street.
"It's kind of funny, we do mostly local (business) at Ala Moana, yet on Maui we do mostly tourist (business)," he said. "In Kona it's half and half. It's really kind of an interesting mix that we do."
Despite rumblings of Hawaii's bad economy, Barnett said the company's island locations "are comfortably and substantially ahead of last year," adding that it's company policy not to release specific figures.
The Web site at www.bubbagump.com says each location generates $4 million to $9 million in sales per year."
The signed leases the company has right now are for mainland locations; it has posted job openings for three managers for a Minneapolis location at the Hospitality Careers Online Web site.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com