TGIFriday

Page 6

6 | TGIFR!DAY | OCTOBER 18, 2013

Above: Shrimp Tacos, made with two grande flour tortillas and filled with sauteed shrimp and fresh veggies, is served with fried chips and Sid’s fresh salsa. Top from left: Shrimp Station employees DeLissa Soto, Dion Duarte, Kahi Rita, Duelane Rita and Austin Kenny pose for a photo at the restaurant’s Waimea location. Fried shrimp and chips served with homemade papaya ginger tartar sauce and french fries. Shrimp Station employee Toots Keuma prepares a plate of shrimp tacos by filling it with sauteed shrimp.

TGIFR!DAY | OCTOBER 18, 2013 | 7

DARIN MORIKI TGIFR!DAY

C74 B7A8<? BC0C8>=) 0 50<8;H 05508A Now On Sale

Serving The Kauai ‘Ohana Since 1992

246-4833 Financing & Delivery Available

742-1112

5MI 3TREET ,IHUE s -ON 3AT

Present this coupon upon ordering and receive a small

FREE DRINK with a purchase of $12 or more Offer is not valid with any other coupons or specials. Limit one coupon per person.

c -@JAEH .9;GK c G;GFML -@JAEH c !9JDA; -@JAEH 2 Locations: Waimea – 9652 Kaumualii Hwy. Open Daily 11am-5pm

338-1242

Kapaa – 4-985 Kuhio Hwy. Open Daily 11am-9pm

821-0192

“Home of the

BEST COCONUT SHRIMP�

K@JAEHKL9LAGF ;GE

LIVE MUSIC WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS

Featuring Local Artists Troy Waialeale & Shilo Pa 7-9pm

808.822.3791 4-796 Kuhio Hwy Kapaa, Kauai 96746

T

he Shrimp Station was a place where Duelane Rita and her family liked to visit even before she and her family purchased the Waimea Restaurant seven years ago. Her oldest son, Kahi, stopped by the restaurant often after school, when he went to Waimea High School, and spread the word to his family. It didn’t take long before the small restaurant along Kaumualii Highway became a family favorite. Kahi and then Kaylen, Duelane’s second-oldest son, landed jobs at the restaurant, where they learned how to cook and work the front window. Things took a different turn in 2006 when Duelane and her husband, Nelson, picked up a copy of The Garden Island one day at work and saw an advertisement for the Shrimp Station’s sale. It was a opportunity Dueland said she and her husband had talked about for some time. “As soon as I saw it, I called him (Nelson) and found out he already called the number and put a hold on it,� Rita said. Once they purchased the business — along with the original shrimp recipes — the entire Rita family hit the ground running and worked to get the restaurant off the ground while balancing time with families and jobs. “Having our regular jobs and trying to run a business was trying, but when you have good, loyal employees, you can kind of step back and

trust that they do everything the way they were taught and keep everything the same,� said Rita, who later retired from a waste industry job in 2008 to spend more time with family and focus on the business. All of the menu items from the original Shrimp Station are still served to this day, including the restaurant’s signature “Got Garlic?� shrimp plate, a local favorite. Duelane said the restaurant has also added a few items over the years, including the shrimp burger, fish and chips and coconut shrimp plate, a favorite among island visitors. The biggest challenge, Duelane said, has been adjusting to the rising cost of goods over the years and not passing it on to her customers. The Shrimp Station, however, has managed to keep menu prices reasonable, varying in price between $11 to $12, and offering 12 pieces of shrimp on each plate. It is hard work, Duelane said, but the real rewards come from customers. “Just hearing that some of our returning customers want to come straight to The Shrimp Station as soon as they get off the plane or even having some of our customers come up to the window and say, ‘It was the best meal ever,’ tells us that we’re doing things right,� Rita said. “And we’ll continue to do things right because those are the kind of remarks that keep us on our toes. It’s gratifying to know that you’ll be able to come to work and make people happy.�

LUAU Every Wednesday

Special Kama‘aina Rate

Call For Reservations 482-4829

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