Earls Kitchen + Bar got its start in the Great White North more than 40 years ago but will soon open its first location in the Islands.
Not to be confused with O‘ahu-based sandwich shop EARL Hawai‘i, Earls Kitchen + Bar was founded in 1982 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and now has more than 70 locations across North America. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, its Waikīkī restaurant opens Oct. 8 and will be the company's 11th in the U.S.
You'll find the restaurant in a nearly 13,000-square-foot space along Kalākaua Avenue where the Waikīkī 3 Theater once stood. There will be more than 320 seats.
Braden Matthews, director of operations for Hawai‘i, told Aloha State Daily Tuesday that Earls is an "upscale casual dining restaurant," offering a modern American menu with "global inspiration" and "super flavorful dishes" that include the likes of USDA prime steaks, fresh seafood, sticky Korean ribs and spicy Calabrian pasta.
Here, you can grab lunch and dinner daily, and brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Looking for a cocktail? The bar portion of Earls Kitchen + Bar serves up their "famous" margaritas and martinis, as well as a mai tai made with locally sourced Kuleana Nanea rum. Happy hour is offered twice a day: from 2 to 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. until close.
Monday through Friday, the restaurant will be open 11 a.m. until "late." On the weekends, it'll open an hour earlier.
"Hawai‘i is a unique and exciting market for us, with high density with obviously so many tourists specifically in Waikīkī," Matthews told ASD. "We really also think that the vibe of our brand really meshes with the island vibe. We see an opportunity to complement the existing restaurants that are already here with our upscale, casual concept, but really think it's a good fit with the laid back [feeling] but also bringing the energy."
According to Matthews, the opportunity to lease this space came up a few years ago, but construction started in December 2024.
The construction team is wrapping up construction work now, he says, and the restaurant is "working with our management team, making sure we have everything we need for a very successful opening."
"The name of the game for us for the next six weeks is nothing but training and hiring," he continued. "That's the big process right now and then we get an opportunity to bring all the staff in for some extensive training that we take a lot of pride in in our company."
As the restaurant prepares for its debut, Earls is looking to hire 360 people in Hawai‘i, including front-of-house, kitchen staff and management positions, Matthews says.
Its first hiring fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, at Prince Waikīkī Hotel, 100 Holomoana St. Those interested in attending can register in advance at earls.ca or just show up Friday.
As for the restaurant's approach to hiring, Matthews, whose own career with the company started 19 years ago as a dishwasher, says there are 20 managers in market right now, "and obviously these hiring days are going to be a huge part of that, but we're also trying to get out in the local community and look for those great people that we think would be a great fit on our team."
Among the positions they're looking to fill, Matthews says the restaurant is looking to hire 100 different cooks in the kitchen, 100 different servers and 40 bartenders.
For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
