Victoria is set to welcome their newest restaurant as 'Kahuna' will make their way into the downtown core this upcoming fall with a Burger-Poke-Plate lunch location.
The new location of Kahuna will be at 515 Chatham Street which was the former location of 'The Very Good Butchers'.
The Hawaiian themed establishment will expand into Victoria after success came at their original restaurant located in Duncan.
Their menu features burgers that are built on locally sourced buns with signature Hawaiian condiments such as mango ketchup, pineapple jam and macadamia Thai basil mayonnaise.
Along with the burgers, Kahuna will offer many other Hawaiian themed food items at their new location including poke.
Co-owner of Kahuna, Robert Stutzman told VictoriaNow that their expansion into Victoria was inspired by there encouragement from their clientele.
"The Victoria location was chosen in part because our clientele from Victoria have encouraged us to join the food scene here and we are keen on reaching a larger market," said Stutzman. "We are ready to infuse the burger and poke bowl world with our passion and creativity. We have been considering this for some time and a clean, well-equipped and accessible space was available.
While the Burger chain is slated to open this upcoming October, Stutzman said that this idea has been in the works for a couple of years.
"We have networked with our realtor Kane Ryan for a couple years and he called us one day about this space," mentioned Stutzman. "It pays off to be persistent and to trust the process of deals that "fall through" and to align yourself with positive professionals."
Since opening their location in Duncan, Stutzman and fellow co-owner, Ajay Oppelaar have focused on customer retention to continue to grow their business.
"We have learned that customer retention and positive experiences are paramount," stated Stutzman. "Creating a customer relationship, however brief it may be, with recognition, respect and conversation is the cornerstone of our business culture.
Their brand was born from their love and passion for the Hawaiian Islands as they looked to bring the culture from one set of Islands to another.
"Hawaii and its culture has played out in a few ways at Kahuna. At its core, it is comfort food that we have added a tropical twist or updated," claimed Stutzman. "Vancouver Island and Hawaii are both islands. The main inspiration was to create an atmosphere of 'aloha" for our customers."
Regardless on whether you been to Hawaii or not, this restaurant will provide you with a glimpse into a world of tropical goodness.
