Hawaii National Bank

About the Entrepreneur

What began as one L&L Drive Inn in 1952 is now known across the world as the home of Hawaii’s plate lunch, with 65 locations in Hawaii and more than 230 across the continental U.S. and Japan. L&L has made “Hawaiian Barbecue” one of the country’s fastest growing food categories – a term coined by founders Eddie Flores Jr. and Johnson Kam to help new audiences understand classic Hawaii comfort foods.

Now, Eddie Flores’ daughter Elisia is CEO and overseeing L&L’s continued continental expansion, steering this family business into its second generation while continuing to share aloha and the flavors of Hawaii that we know and love.

More with Elisia

What’s it like to take the helm of a longstanding family business?

I feel so honored to be able to work in this company that my dad and Uncle Johnson founded. I have a huge passion for our organization and what we do, and I just feel very privileged to get to be the one leading the company now.

L&L is my family's American Dream come true. Both of my parents came to this country with very little resources and L&L was just this amazing opportunity for them. Everything that I have in my life is because of L&L, and what I get to do every day is help others create their American dream by opening an L&L. I can see myself doing this for the rest of my life.

What does being a local Hawaii business mean to you?

It means everything. Our product, our brand, everything that we sell at L&L is rooted in Hawaii. So it is important to my family and to me that we remain rooted in Hawaii, and headquartered in Hawaii. We're so proud that we get to share a little bit of what's special about our islands with the rest of the country.

What do you think is unique about running a family business?

Being in a family business is really, really special. The highs are higher, but the lows are also lower. There's so many things intertwined when you're part of a family business.There's more emotion, there's more meaning to everything you do. You're financially tied, and you're familially tied. When things are going right, it's such a beautiful thing. I'm so grateful that I have the time to spend with my dad and to work with him. I always think of carrying on the legacy as a burden, which it is, but it's also a tremendous privilege.

You come from a finance background. How important is it to have a good bank on your side?

In this business environment, it's great to have a community around you and part of that are the partners that you get to work with. A banker is one of those partners and if you've got a great relationship with your banker, you've got someone at your back – not only giving you advice but giving you tools and resources when you need them, and even giving you insights into times when you're not even sure what you should be doing. They can be a tremendous resource.

What is special about your relationship with Hawaii National Bank?

We've been partners with Hawaii National Bank for longer than I even know. My dad will share that L&L exists because Hawaii National Bank was there for us at the start. We have so appreciated their partnership with us for the over 50 years that we've been in business.

I love that Hawaii National Bank is also a family business. I think they really understand what it means to be a family business – the crazy parts of it, the amazing parts of it, the weird parts of it – they get it. You don't have to explain it to them, they just get it. And that makes getting business done a lot easier.

What excites you about the future?

I'm super excited about the future and we have huge plans for growth. I'm hoping to bring the company to 500 locations across the country. We get to bring the plate lunch to different parts of the country. That's pretty awesome.

More with Eddie

What is your advice for anyone running a family business?

Before any of my children come to work for me, I advise them to work at a big mainland company for several years first, because it will give them invaluable experience and training. Instead of me investing to train my children, I’d rather have someone else train them for me.

What is the hardest part about having your children work for you?

Telling them what to do and having them listen to me. Quite often they have a lot of new ideas they want to tell me, and being an old man I’m usually pretty stubborn. But it is good to have my children bring new ideas that I can learn from so I can improve my business and expand my operations.

What are the most important qualities to look for as a business owner when choosing a bank?

Banking is very important to me. Most banks offer the same services, but I need a banker who is very personable – who knows me, so when I walk into the bank I get the same, trusted service day-in and day-out.

What do you love about banking at Hawaii National Bank?

When I walk in, everyone will say "hi" to me. They’re so friendly, and everyone knows me. It’s a small, personable bank, but it provides the same services I can get from a bigger bank.