How L&L Brought a Taste of Hawaii to the World
By Kelli Luu | 23 Jan, 2026

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue began as a drive-in in Honolulu and now has 230 franchised locations across the globe, bringing Hawaiian lunch plates to major cities.

Before L&L was the largest Hawaiian BBQ chain, it was a small Honolulu drive-in called L&L Dairy that sold hamburgers and other island favorites. It was a local spot founded by a Korean man in 1952, Robert Lee who named the diner after himself and his son Robert Lee, Jr.

The diner was later sold to Filipino-Chinese businessman Eddie Flores, Jr. in 1976 who purchased it for his mother. He changed the name to L&L Drive Inn and since it already had a strong reputation for their filling lunch plates, Flores and his mother knew they would continue to build the name of L&L.

Flores brought in his partner Johnson Kam to help his mother run the business and the three of them worked the restaurant every day, building strong relationships with customers throughout the neighborhood. Their affordable meals blended Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese, and Hawaiian influences into one satisfying plate.

By 1991 L&L’s success motivated Flores and Kam to make the decision to franchise their business as L&L Hawaiian Barbeque and in 1997, there were 30 locations throughout Hawaii serving popular dishes like Loco Mocos, Katsu Chicken, and Korean Beef Short Ribs. After noticing that Hawaiian-style lunch plates were becoming increasingly popular in San Francisco, Flores and Kam introduced L&L Hawaiian Barbeque to the U.S. mainland in the Puente Hills Mall in California.

This decision paid off as word spread quickly about the quality and deliciousness of Hawaiian lunch plates driving L&L to become well known for their BBQ mix plates, kalua pork, and spam musubi. Today there are over 200 locations across the United States, including stores in Virginia and Alaska. Internationally, L&L has 30 locations in the Philippines, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

The company has been taken over by Flores’ daughter Elisia Flores who now acts as the current CEO and has shared plans to have 500 locations worldwide by 2032, keeping L&L Hawaiian Barbecue as the largest Hawaiian BBQ chain in the world. What began as a local drive-in has evolved into a global sensation, serving their customers with tasty food that feels straight off the island and with every lunch plate served, L&L will continue to bring a taste of Hawaii to the world.