3 questions with the franchise owner of Capriotti's Sandwich Shop in Kāhala
National chain Capriotti's Sandwich Shop opened in Hawai‘i last year at Kū‘ono Marketplace at Kahala.
National chain Capriotti's Sandwich Shop opened in Hawai‘i last year at Kū‘ono Marketplace at Kāhala.
The 1,200-square-foot eatery opened on Aug. 3, according to representatives of the sandwich shop. The buildout cost $780,000 and was self-funded by the franchise owners, Chase and SooJung Heu, as well as ApplePie Capital, which offers franchise financing.
Chase has worked with Michelin-starred chefs and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, according to representatives of Capriotti's Sandwich Shop. He also worked in Las Vegas at Rio Las Vegas and Caesars Palace.
Photo courtesy of Chase and SooJung Heu
Currently, the new Capriotti's Sandwich Shop is the only one in Hawaii, according to the brand's website. Chase and SooJung Heu plan to expand with additional shops on Oahu.
"We are close to locking down a property in West Oahu in Kapolei," Chase told Pacific Business News via email. "This will be the second location, and after that, we are looking at Kailua or Kaneohe on the south side of the island."
The architect for the new eatery was Jayson Chan from Sevan Solutions, according to representatives of the sandwich shop. The construction was completed by T&R Construction.
PBN recently caught up with Chase to chat about why they wanted to bring the brand to the Islands, how they are handling the labor shortage, and plans for expansion.
Why did you decide to open in this location? What made this location a good fit for Capriotti's?
My wife and I decided to open this location because we felt that Hawaii was in need of a quality sandwich shop. And as it happened, our 20 years spent living in Las Vegas showed us the very shop we had in mind. The quality of the sandwiches and variety that Capriotti’s offered was a win-win situation for a small business idea we wanted to pursue. Kahala at Kuono Marketplace was actually our second choice for Capriotti's to take root. Our first choice was to have the location in the heart of Honolulu, in Kakaako, where you tend to see both tourists and locals — though we ultimately decided otherwise. The local clientele here has really shown an incredible amount of support.
Restaurant and retail owners are constantly talking about the statewide labor shortage. What is your strategy to find and retain employees?
Living in Hawaii is no different from when we both ran restaurants on the Mainland, and labor shortage has been a constant concern. My wife and I have always felt that as long as we keep consistent with building a foundation for our business model and lead by example, we will retain quality employees. We try to implement a family-oriented environment that shows through in our passion for making the product and providing an unrivaled guest experience.
What advice would you give someone wanting to become a franchise owner?
I feel the best advice I would give a potential franchise owner is to keep focused on both the short- and long-term goals of getting into a food business. The hours it takes for making a shop successful are tedious, but rewarding. Another important piece of advice is to make sure you know the cost of the build, especially in Hawaii ... with the state's often exorbitant shipping costs. I feel if we didn’t have the combined 50 years experience in food and beverage that we do, we wouldn't be as successful in this location. Last but not least, communication between you and any possible business partners is key. All parties need to always be on the same page to make the right business decisions.