Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, the Hawaiian restaurant chain founded in Belton, Missouri, is planning to expand in Las Vegas, often called the Ninth Island because of all the residents of Hawaiian descent or with connections to the Aloha State.
On Tuesday, Hawaiian Bros announced a franchise development agreement with Rock Strategic LLC to open six restaurants in south Vegas. In September, Rock Strategic opened the first Hawaiian Bros in the valley on West Craig Road in North Las Vegas. The company also operates four Hawaiian Bros in the greater San Antonio area.
A representative for Hawaiian Bros said Rock Strategic was scouting locations but did not provide specifics.
Plate lunches with rice, macaroni salad and proteins like teriyaki chicken, garlic chicken and kalua pig anchor the menu, joined by wraps, sides like Spam musubi and Dole Soft Serve for dessert.
Trademark kerfuffle
Hawaiian Bros faced online backlash when it emerged that it had registered a federal trademark for the words “Aloha Spirit,” a traditional description of the Hawaiian ethos, in March 2022. The backlash played into an ongoing controversy about businesses that were not founded in Hawaii, or not owned by native Hawaiians, nevertheless profiting from Hawaiian culture.
Two brothers from Oregon who are not native Hawaiians, but whose family had owned a Hawaiian restaurant for many years, started Hawaiian Bros. In February 2025, the company voluntarily canceled the Aloha Spirit trademark registration. Today, the company and franchisees operate more than 70 restaurants in 14 states.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.
