L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, the largest Hawaii-themed restaurant chain in the nation, is celebrating its 70th anniversary by welcoming more than 100 franchise owners from 10 states and Japan to its L&L Convention at the Royal Hawaiian Resort and Sheraton Waikiki today and Saturday.
The convention was first held in Manhattan Beach, Calif., in 2003 and became an annual event until suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, according to a company news release.
There are currently 211 L&L Hawaiian Barbecues across the U.S. and Japan, many owned by first- or second-generation Asian Americans, the company said. The restaurants, popular for their local-style plate lunches, are in 14 states, including California, which has 96 franchises — more than the 66 in Hawaii. There are also locations in Tokyo and Enoshima, Japan.
L&L restaurants recently opened at Manoa Marketplace and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, with other locations scheduled to open this year at the Royal Hawaiian Center, the Aikahi Shopping Center in Kailua and in Waikoloa on Hawaii island.
The business has its roots in L&L Dairy, opened in 1952 by Robert Lee and his wife, Ida Sung Lee, at the corner of King Street and Kapiolani Boulevard. The business changed hands several times over the years, evolving into L&L Drive-Inn. In 1976, Eddie Flores Jr., who had immigrated to Hawaii from Hong Kong, purchased L&L Drive-Inn and later partnered with friend Johnson Kam. The pair began franchising L&L restaurants in Hawaii in 1991, and by 1999 expanded to the mainland with their first restaurant, in City of Industry, Calif.
In 2019, L&L appointed Flores’ daughter, Elisia Flores, as CEO and vice chair.
“From the very beginning the L&L brand has been at its core about the entrepreneur spirit and fulfilling the American Dream for my family,” Elisia Flores said in the release. “For many of our franchisees, owning an L&L is their American success story and to be able to help facilitate that is an amazing thing to be part of every day.”
By the end of 2022, L&L projects to grow to 220 franchises in 16 states and Japan.
