In the mid 90’s a native Hawaiian by the name of Kekoa opened a Hawaiian restaurant in Oregon. He moved there from the Big Island of Hawaii and brought his own family recipes with him. The restaurant offered traditional Hawaiian Plate Lunch, which has a long history of being a regional favorite throughout Hawaii. The Hawaiian Plate Lunch concept was relatively new to Oregon at the time and quickly became a local favorite, including that of brothers Cameron and Tyler McNie.
The McNie brothers were faithful customers of Kekoa’s restaurant, and were greatly disappointed in 2003 when they learned that the restaurant was closing. That same year, Cameron and Tyler helped their family open a small restaurant that offered the same Hawaiian Plate Lunch the brothers had come to know and love. In opening that first small restaurant, the McNie brothers and their family were personally trained and guided by Kekoa in making the same traditional Hawaiian food he had brought with him from the Islands.
That first small McNie family Hawaiian Plate Lunch restaurant thrived. Consequently, the McNie brothers helped their family open additional locations across the state and were instrumental in growing the restaurant into a local favorite, with multiple locations in Oregon.
In 2017, Cameron and Tyler decided to leave the family’s Oregon business in order to develop a new restaurant concept that would introduce traditional Hawaiian Plate Lunch to a different part of the country. Cameron and Tyler teamed up with childhood friends (and brothers!) Paul and Joel Worcester of Worcester Companies, who had relocated to the Kansas City area from Oregon to start a multi-family real estate investment business that they have grown into one of the leading and fastest growing businesses in Kansas City. The Worcesters, who also love Hawaiian Plate Lunch, believed the Midwest also needed Hawaiian food and persuaded the McNie brothers to start their new endeavor in the Kansas City area. In 2017 the two sets of brothers from Oregon founded Hawaiian Bros In February 2018 they opened their first location in Belton. The McNie brothers operate the business and Worcester Companies provides capital and site selection.
Although not Hawaiian themselves, they chose the name Hawaiian Bros because it represents the venture of two sets of brothers who are longtime friends coming together to bring Hawaiian Plate Lunch to the Midwest.
At Hawaiian Bros we are committed to serving fresh Hawaiian Plate Lunch with a smile. As a family-run business we are honored to spread the Aloha spirit- one plate lunch at a time. We can’t wait to share a taste of the Islands with you. Mahalo!
