Fellows mentioned in this story: Elisia Flores

From Punahou Bulletin:

From rural Hawai‘i to outer space, these fearless Puns are opening doors and breaking down barriers so that others can thrive.

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Elisia Flores ’02

Elisia Flores knows a classic rags-to-riches story when she sees one. The L&L Hawaiian Barbecue CEO has witnessed it through the lens of her father, Eddie Flores Jr., who grew up as one of seven kids living in a cramped two-bedroom apartment in Hong Kong and came to the United States with nothing to his name. Through hard work and enterprising instincts, Flores Jr. – along with business partner, Johnson Kam – started a humble walk-up restaurant on Liliha Street in 1976. That’s when his reversal of fortune began.

Fast forward almost five decades, L&L’s empire now stretches from New York to Japan, with 215 locations and $173 million in revenue in 2021. “The most inspiring thing about immigrants is how hard they work,” Flores says. “Because they often come from nothing, they pour themselves wholeheartedly into everything that they do. And by working hard, they can – and often do – accomplish a lot.”

Flores says L&L’s business model is organically aligned to help underrepresented communities, partly because it was founded by two immigrants. Today, some 95% of L&L restaurants are owned by Black, Indigenous or people of color. 

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