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Islands eatery
is coming to
the islands

AN island-themed mainland restaurant chain called Islands Restaurants is coming to Hawaii -- specifically to Ala Moana Center and beyond.

If it seems like an odd proposition, the company doesn't view it that way.

"For so long, people have asked us, 'When are you going to build a restaurant in Hawaii?' " said Jeff Brackey, Islands Restaurants' director of operations covering Hawaii.

"We're so thrilled to be able to finally come over and really, hopefully, do the job we're capable of doing, and wow the people."

The Carlsbad, Calif.-based company, which has 51 restaurants, is looking at up to five sites in Hawaii, "but Ala Moana was, without a doubt, priority one and we're glad it was available," he said.

It is possible the company wanted Ala Moana so badly because California Pizza Kitchen, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and other restaurants at the Honolulu shopping center are among the top sales engines in their chains.

"We might have heard that somewhere. I'm almost sure we did," Brackey laughed.

The 6,488-square-foot restaurant, which will seat up to 275 customers, will open in the center's fourth-floor Hookipa Terrace, perhaps in January, if there are no setbacks, Brackey said.

Burgers are the restaurants' focal point and the menu was clearly developed on the mainland.

The "Hawaiian" burger has pineapple on it. Pineapple is also used in a chicken sandwich called the "Toucan" and in a soft taco named "Yaki," which also contains chicken, teriyaki sauce and chives, as opposed to green onions.

"The concept is less about kitsch and more about a fun atmosphere and the fresh food," said Cyndi Darlington, marketing director.

The atmosphere includes TV screens showing surfing, skiing and extreme sporting events.

"We think everywhere we go, we have the friendliest staff that makes us different than all of the other restaurants," she said. "Our food speaks for itself."

The company is aware that Hawaii takes its cultural uniqueness seriously.

"Absolutely. We actually have a manager in California who was born and raised in Hawaii (Chad Tamashiro) and he is going to help us in both our menu and the things that we do and make sure that culturally, we are sensitive and respectful," Brackey said.

There are other interesting dishes, including a rotisserie chicken dish named "Moa Eke." According to the Pukui-Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary, moa means chicken, but 'eke means sack or bag, as well as a private region of the male anatomy.

A tuna dish called "Moa Kai" could be a winking "Chicken of the Sea" reference. Kai can mean sea or sea water, but it also can mean insipid, brackish or tasteless.

But what's in a name?

Hiring may begin in December and the company will hire between 90 and 125 people. By the fall, a redesign of the company Web site will allow management hopefuls to apply online, Darlington said.

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A KHUI apology

An apology began airing Thursday on KHUI-FM 99.5 "The Breeze," read by T.J. Malievsky, vice president and general manager.

Malievsky explained the scenario reported in TheBuzz on Wednesday, in which an advertisement for a concert at Hula's Bar and Lei Stand, a gay bar, was rejected by the radio station.

"For the last week or so, statements made by our station have been used to make part of our family not feel welcome. They are welcome," he said.

The station is owned by California-based Salem Communications Corp., whose radio programming, Web sites and magazines are aimed at Christian and family audiences.

"We generally don't take ads for nightclubs because we believe that the station should serve the whole hui, not just those old enough to drink," Malievsky said.

"The nightclub that was hosting the concert was given the impression that the ad was rejected because of the nature of the club. This was wrong."

Since previous apologies made by Malievsky were done privately, "some members of the public were given the impression that the station was not sorry for its actions. Some have even tried to exploit the situation for personal or political gain. This too, at least in part, is our fault."

The phrase "I am sorry" was used at least five times in Malievsky's statement.

"His apology is a start, but it didn't address the gay issue and whether or not Salem has a policy of not accepting advertising from gay establishments," said Mahlon Moore, the former KHUI program director who is gay. "That's the heart of this matter and it wasn't answered in his comments."

Moore's contract with the company ended July 31 and was not renewed by mutual agreement. He plans to continue to operate an online radio station at www.breezeofhawaii.com.