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Affiliation with L&L
brings street cred
on the mainland

L&L Drive-Inn co-founder Eddie Flores is a funny and promotionally minded guy. As such, he knows when amusing anecdotes and ink opportunities collide -- sometimes literally.

One of his mainland franchisees was driving and got hit by another car last month in California. He was able to get out of the car but was shaken, dizzy and a bit unstable. Flores said a witness started shouting, "Hey, that's the L&L guy; call an ambulance and take care of him first."

Some of Flores' franchisees are or were professional football players, but that's not what got Spencer Reid an upgrade at a Las Vegas hotel.

The front desk clerk noticed and asked about Reid's L&L Hawaiian Barbecue cap and when he learned Reid was an owner, he upgraded Reid's accommodations.

"So it's good to buy L&L (merchandise)," said Flores, always the marketer.

The shaka sign gets waved at Farrington High School graduate Ben Gudoy whenever he drives around. It would be no big deal if he were cruising his old neighborhood, but the shakas are spurred by the L&L sign on the vehicle he drives around San Diego, he told Flores.

Flores is surprised by the name brand recognition "even on the mainland. Isn't it strange?"

Nike runs elsewhere

Five years of Niketown 5K runs in Honolulu have raised a total of $300,000 for Oahu schools and that raised eyebrows at HQ in Oregon.

The locally conceived event including the run, fund raising, promotion and giveaways will spread to Las Vegas, Miami, Atlanta and Denver beginning in November.

"Nike Inc. realized we've got a great thing going here," said Keala Peters, regional marketing manager. "It ties into the theme of 'Nike Go,' which is all about getting kids active. It's a perfect vehicle to get kids active and running on a Sunday morning with their families and it raises donations for PE and athletic programs."