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FOOD
Food & Drink
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Ono Hawaiian BBQ gets a makeover
BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer
After being closed for nearly two months for renovations, Ono Hawaiian BBQ has re-opened in Scottsdale.
Among the renovations, Ono updated its kitchen equipment, converted its menu boards to a digital menu board and updated the logo to the company’s current logo.
“We have gradually been updating our older stores and remodeling them and this was part of our remodeling agenda,” said Christine Jan, a spokeswoman for Ono. “That location hadn’t been remodeled since the early 2000’s and the interior was getting a bit dated.”
Jan feels that these innovations will help the restaurant run more ef�iciently.
“We did an update to the kitchen with newer equipment, updated our registers and we implemented online ordering so that the ordering process would be easier for everyone,” she said. “We also integrated our delivery service into one machine so that employees will not have to worry about different devices and technology.”
Jan feels that the biggest enhancement to the restaurant was the implementation of online ordering – which the company launched about a month prior to the renovation.
“Hopefully, online ordering will make our restaurant more accessible for more people,” said Jan. “Online ordering also gives people the option to adjust the plate lunches as they please.”
Jan also believes that online ordering offers a convenience to customers.
“We make our food fresh to order and sometimes customers may have to wait up to 15-minutes to receive their food depending on the item,” she said. “By allowing customers to order ahead, they can walk right in and pick it up without having to wait.”
“Because of the ease of online ordering, people are ordering larger portions than normal,” she added.
She has also seen an increase in catering orders with the new online system.
“We have started seeing some catering orders come through for the holidays, especially through our online ordering,” she said. “Customers have found it easier to be able to click in their order as opposed to calling in or going in person and making their orders.”
For those who may not want to make the drive out to Ono Hawaiian BBQ, the restaurant now offers delivery through Uber Eats, Postmates, DoorDash and Grubhub.
Another major enhancement to the restaurant was its update to match the brands standard.
“On the inside we installed digital menu boards and freshened up our interior decoration with some tropical �lowers so that the restaurant has a more modern look and feel and is up to our brand standards,” Jan said. “We also updated our exterior signage to our current logo, as it had featured our older logo.”
The kitchen equipment also got an upgrade and Jan said, “The new kitchen equipment will be easier to use and the maintenance should not be an issue for a while.”
During the two-month shutdown, employees had the choice of working at a nearby restaurant and then returning to Scottsdale, transferring to another location or leaving the company.
“We have several locations throughout Maricopa County, so it was guaranteed that employees could transfer or come back without being laid off,” Jan said.
Jan also reported that loyal customers had feared that Ono Hawaiian BBQ was the next restaurant to close amid the pandemic.
“Customers thought we were permanently closed due to the signage we had out front, but we are fully open and we are excited to have our old and new customers stopping by,” Jan said.
Jan hopes that these renovations will not only re�lect her brand’s standards but will create a family atmosphere at Ono Hawaiian BBQ.
“We want customers to feel the welcoming atmosphere at Ono Scottsdale,” she said. “We treat our customers like ‘Ohana and we hope that the new renovations will re�lect that.”
Info: onohawaiianbbq.com
Ono Hawaiian BBQ underwent a complete renovation over two months and even
the kitchen equipment was upgraded. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)
New Scottsdale eatery offering free food Jan. 3
PROGRESS STAFF WRITER
Anyone who wants to start the �irst work week of 2022 in Scottsdale stands a chance for a treat – a free sandwich, side and drink. The �irst 200 people at tents that Woo Woo Burgers is setting up at 11 a.m. Jan. 3 on the lawn on the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt park behind Z’Tejas.
Woo Woo Burgers is celebrating its expansion. It’s a ghost kitchen concept operating exclusively inside Z’Tejas at 8300 N. Hayden Road, D-101, Scottsdale.
Woo Woo Burgers is a throwback concept with a straightforward menu of burgers, chicken sandwiches and sides. The concept uses fresh, never frozen, hormone-free beef and chicken complimented by the best available produce.
The dipping sauces are all scratchmade using olive oil, fresh herbs and spices and absolutely nothing you can’t pronounce. High-quality ingredients at a price that will allow you to woo your entire family and your friends.
Starting on Jan. 3, the full menu will be available for pick-up curbside or online via third-party food delivery platforms.
