 | |
 | |
| Industry | Restaurant |
|---|---|
| Founded | October 17, 1966 |
| Founder | Francis and Charles Higa |
| Headquarters | 1765 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii |
Number of locations | 23 |
| Website | www |
Zippy's is a fast casual restaurant chain based in Hawaii. It has 23 locations and serves American, Japanese, Chinese, and Hawaiian fusion food. One of their best-selling items is chili.
On October 17, 1966, brothers Francis and Charles Higa opened the first Zippy's on South King Street in Honolulu, Hawaii. At first, the Higa brothers were going to open a car wash, but they ended up creating a restaurant. The kitchen was located in the back of the Zippy's McCully fast food operation. At the time, the zip code was gaining popularity because it was a faster and more efficient way for mail to arrive. The Higa brothers liked the idea of zip codes and they wanted their restaurant to have the same kind of service, so they named the restaurant Zippy's. Francis and Charlie bought mostly freestanding buildings so that they could stay open for 24 hours, attracting many late-night customers.
At the time that Zippy's was first created, a lot of Okinawan mom and pop restaurants were around. There weren't many mainland fast food chains in Hawaii at that time either. At that time, Spencecliff, Andy Wong (Byron's), and Zippy's were the only fast food restaurants around. Because of the competition, the Higa brothers decided on selling a variety of local foods. [1]
On November 19, 1983, Napoleon's Bakery opened its doors, due to the fact that Zippy's wanted to try something different. [2] They wanted to make the restaurant a one-stop shop, so that when the customer were done with their dinner, they could order a dessert. Because of the bakery's opening, the sales at Zippy's increased.[ citation needed ]
The founders, Francis and Charles Higa, created FCH Enterprise, Inc. in May 2002. Francis and Charles had different personalities and took on different roles to make the business successful. [3] Francis determined the direction of the company, while Charles made most of the operational decisions and handled all food and paper purchases. To this present day, Charles is happily retired and well.[ citation needed ] However, Francis died on March 25, 1999. [4] Francis' son, Jason Higa, is now the current CEO of FCH Enterprises, Inc.
When Zippy's Kaimuki restaurant opened, Charles would transport huge pots of chili in his station wagon. [5] Now, food is being prepared by Food Solutions International in Waipio and is sent to the different Zippy's around the islands.
On October 10, 2023 Zippy’s officially opened it first location outside of Hawaii in Las Vegas. [6]
Zippy's is open 24 hours and offers a wide variety of food combining American, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Hawaiian cuisine —that is, what people who live in Hawaii call "local" cuisine. [7] One of their signature dishes when they first opened was the Zip-min.[ clarification needed ] [8] Its signature food is their chili. Zippy's sells 110 tons of it every month through their stores, fund raising activities, and in retail markets. [9] Along with their chili, Zippy's sells a variety of plate lunches such as the Zip Pac and the Surf Pac. [10] The Zip Pac was introduced in May 1971. The Surf Pac was introduced in May 1985.[ citation needed ]
Most Zippy's restaurants also contain a separate counter for Napoleon's Bakery. [11] Two locations contain a separate sushi bar. [12]
The cuisine of the American Midwest draws its culinary roots most significantly from the cuisines of Central, Northern and Eastern Europe, and Indigenous cuisine of the Americas, and is influenced by regionally and locally grown foodstuffs and cultural diversity.
The cuisine of California reflects the diverse culture of California and is influenced largely by European American, Hispanic American, East Asian and Oceanian influences, and Western European influences, as well as the food trends and traditions of larger American cuisine.
Saimin is a noodle soup dish common in the contemporary cuisine of Hawaii. Traditionally consisting of soft wheat egg noodles served in a hot dashi garnished with diced green onions and a thin slice of kamaboko, modern versions of saimin include additional toppings such as char siu, sliced Spam, sliced egg, bok choy, mushrooms, or shredded nori. When Chinese dumplings are added to the noodle soup, it is seen on menus as the heartier wonton min. All saimin establishments have their own, often secret recipe for the soup base, but primarily use kombu and dried shrimp as major ingredients. Common table condiments mixed in the saimin broth are Chinese hot mustard and soy sauce, added in small quantities according to each individual's taste. Many local residents of Hawaii also enjoy barbecued teriyaki beef sticks (skewers) or American hamburgers as a side dish.
In Vietnamese cuisine, bánh mì or banh mi is a short baguette with thin, crisp crust and a soft, airy texture. It is often split lengthwise and filled with meat and savory ingredients like a submarine sandwich and served as a meal, called bánh mì thịt. Plain bánh mì is also eaten as a staple food.
The cuisine of Hawaii incorporates five distinct styles of food, reflecting the diverse food history of settlement and immigration in the Hawaiian Islands.[a]
Brinker International, Inc. is an American multinational hospitality industry company that owns Chili's and Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant chains. Founded in 1975 and based in Dallas, Texas, Brinker currently owns, operates, or franchises 1,672 restaurants under the names Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy worldwide.
Spam musubi is a snack and lunch food composed of a slice of grilled Spam sandwiched either in between or on top of a block of rice, wrapped together with nori in the tradition of Japanese onigiri.
Poke is a dish of diced raw fish tossed in sauce and served either as an appetizer or a main course.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, known also as L&L Drive-Inn or colloquially as L&L, is a Hawaii-themed franchise restaurant chain based in Honolulu, Hawaii, centered on the plate lunch.
Blossoming Lotus is a counter-service vegan restaurant in Portland, Oregon, US. It was founded in Kapa'a, Hawaii in 2002. At its peak the company had three restaurants, but now only operates a single location in Portland.
Matsugen is the name of several Japanese restaurants owned by the Matsushita brothers located in Tokyo, Hawaii, and New York City. The New York Matsugen is co-owned by the Matsushita brothers and Jean-Georges, and received three stars from the New York Times.
King's Hawaiian is a Los Angeles-based family-owned and operated bakery, known chiefly for its Hawaiian bread. It was founded by Robert Taira in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1950.
Togolese cuisine is the cuisine of the Togolese Republic, a country in Western Africa. Staple foods in Togolese cuisine include maize, rice, millet, cassava, yam, plantain and beans. Maize is the most commonly consumed food in the Togolese Republic. Fish is a significant source of protein. People in Togo tend to eat at home, but there are also restaurants and food stalls.
Leonard's Bakery is a Portuguese bakery in Honolulu, Hawaii, known for popularizing the malasada. The fried pastry, slightly crispier and chewier than a doughnut and with no hole, is known as a cuisine of Hawaii. Though Portuguese immigrants brought the malasada to Hawaii at the turn of the 20th century, Leonard's opened in 1952 and brought it to a wider audience. Leonard's is a household name in Hawaii and is well known in the continental United States and internationally. A franchise location opened in Japan in 2008.
Snow puffies are a variation of a mille-feuille popularized by Paʻalaʻa Kai Bakery in Waialua. Snow puffies are a popular dessert in Hawaii often purchased as omiyage or recreated by home pastry chefs.
