Cameron Hiro was born and raised on Molokai, population 8,000, and he knows as well as anyone that it can be a struggle to find employment and opportunity in such a small community.
Hiro, 55, is pastor at Heart of Aloha Church on Molokai and also works as a manager at a sea salt company. Previously, he spent time running the kitchen at the Hotel Molokai.
So when the hotel's manager, Michael Drew, approached Hiro and his family about taking over the dining space at the property in Kaunakakai, he saw more than a short-term opportunity.
"We decided to jump in part because the business plan looked like it could work, but also to help the next generation get trained up and have some more opportunities," Hiro said.
Hiro's Ohana Grill soft-opened at the Hotel Molokai in mid-July, and the plan is to hold a grand opening on Aug. 19. Joining Cameron as managing partners are his brothers Raymond Hiro and John Pele, both of whom also work multiple jobs and bring their own expertise to the venture.
While Cameron has opened restaurants and run kitchens before, Raymond is a musician who used to play at the hotel and works as a property manager. He's in charge of maintenance and entertainment booking. Pele, who has worked in hospitality and property management, will run the front of house including wait staff and bar operations. Raymond's son, Sherwood Hiro, will be executive chef, emblematic of the deeper mission of passing on knowledge and opportunity to the next generation.
Prior to opening, the team completed extensive renovations on the dining area. The restaurant was refreshed with new furniture, and a second entertainment stage was added.
"It's an open-air dining room. The restaurant is right on the beach, and some tables are literally right next to water not more than 10 feet from the water," Hiro said. "We light tiki torches and it's really nice in the evening."
Hiro describes the menu as "surf and turf" with an emphasis on highlighting the abundant fresh seafood available on the island. Dishes include crab-stuffed mushrooms, house-made panko-crusted calamari strips and poke. Hiro's Ohana Grill also serves Angus steaks, pastas and vegetarian options.
"Ohana" means "family" in Hawaiian, and the Hiros are taking the name of the restaurant seriously. In addition to offering Sherwood the chance to run his own kitchen, about a dozen people related to the Hiros are working at the restaurant.
"Our mission is twofold," Hiro says. "One is to pass on knowledge and training to the next generation, and have something we can pass on. The other is to provide jobs on the island, a place that doesn't have very many jobs. It may not seem like a lot, but offering 30 jobs is a big impact for an island as small as ours."