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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Never underestimate a cat..."}]

Smile 26 6 20

<title>Daily Smile: Saturday, June 20, 2026</title>

Never underestimate a cat...

Daily Smile: Saturday, June 20, 2026

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Wendell Look has given nearly his entire life to ‘Iolani School. After graduating in 1978, he became an assistant football coach at his alma mater in 1983 after getting his degree from Boise State. 

Look became the head coach of ‘Iolani's football team in 1991 and eventually added athletic director to his list of duties with the school. 

Under Look, the Raiders won eight HHSAA Division II titles, including six straight from 2007 to 2012. 

When the state introduced three tiers of state football championships in 2016 (Open, Division I and Division II), the Raiders moved up to the second-tier Division I tournament, reaching the championship game but falling to Mililani and future NFL quarterback 

 31-20. When ‘Iolani returned to the Division I championship game in 2019, the Raiders lost 20-17 to Hilo in heartbreaking fashion on Keanu Keolanui's 55-yard field goal off the crossbar as time expired. 

After the 2020 season was wiped out due to COVID-19, the Raiders returned to the Division I state championship game in 2021, triumphing 38-0 over Lahainaluna. 

Following over four decades of exhilarating wins, painful losses and countless relationships built, Look decided to call it a career earlier in the year. He will retire from both of his positions at ‘Iolani, with June 30 serving as his last day. Following Look's retirement announcement, ‘Iolani has named Jana Fraser

, Eddie Maruyama and Maurice Maggiolino as the school's new co-athletic directors, while 1993 ‘Iolani alumnus Patrick Samsonas will serve as the next head football coach. 

Aloha State Daily sat with Look for a wide-ranging Q&A on his career and legacy. 

 Congratulations on a great career. What went into your decision to retire? 

I just thought it was the right time to step away. The school is going through a transition period right now with the new head of school, and the landscape of education is moving in a different direction. I'm kind of an old school kind of guy, so I thought that to make the transition smooth, this was a good time for me to step away and let the next generation and the next administration take over and take it the direction they want it to go.

Since you've made the announcement, what's the reception been like from your coworkers, former players and former coaches?

 The players are happy that I'm finally getting time to myself, and they've been very thankful and appreciative. That's been nice. I haven't heard from a lot of them for a while, and then a lot of them reached back out, which was nice. They all expressed appreciation for not only me, but what football here did for them, and how it helped them in their adult life. That to me is why we do what we do, right? They might not feel the effects or understand what we're trying to teach but maybe 10, 15, 20 years down the road, they do. That's what makes it so gratifying and makes it meaningful. My coworkers, obviously they're happy, but they know it's a changing of the guard kind of, but they're very happy for me. This is a good place, and hopefully the foundation is strong enough that the traditions and the legacy of Father (Kenneth A. Bray) and coach (Eddie) Hamada will continue on.

What went into the process of selecting Patrick Samsonas as the next football coach at ‘Iolani, and was there a lot of interest in that position?

 I had a few calls from people, but football people know that this is kind of a unique place to be the head coach, and not in the sense that we're a football factory. In fact, we're the complete opposite, right? You have to have the right mindset and the right priorities to coach here, because obviously we don't get the per se football player here. We get good students here, we get kids that are motivated, who are somewhat athletically gifted, but physically, not really football guys. But they're gonna play hard, they're gonna play smart, and they're gonna give you all they got. I think being an alumni and going through the process of being an alumni in our program was important. 

Pat kind of came out of the blue, really. I didn't know he was interested. His son (Zion) is going to be a senior this year at Mililani, and so that's a tough thing to do: to coach another team while your son's finishing up his senior year (Note: High school athletes on O‘ahu are required to sit out a year athletically if they transfer from an OIA school to an ILH school). His son is pretty good, so I didn't think he was interested. But he didn't want to see all the coaches' legacy and traditions and the history of this place, what Father Bray and what Coach Hamada built, go away. And he felt that, like me, it had to be someone, an alumni that has gone through the process and understood what it meant to be One Team. So, with a little prodding from his peers and his classmates, that's how it came about.

What advice have you been able to share with him?

We've talked and stuff a little bit, but he knows what needs to get done. He knows what the philosophy is, what kind of kids we have here, what the priorities are. He knows all that kind of stuff, the everyday stuff. Obviously I'll help him, but he's been head coach before (at Kaiser from 2005 to 2009), so he knows what it takes. When I took over for coach Hamada, he came out the first day of practice and said this is yours now, you got to do it your own way. You got to be your own person. You cannot be me, you got to be yourself. And that was it. That's all he said. And he walked away, and he never came back out to practice. He came to games every once in a while, but he wasn't one that was gonna hover and give me unsolicited advice and be critical of what we're doing. That showed that he believed in what I was going to do and what I was going to continue, and so that trust that he had in me, I want Pat to feel that too, right? This is going to be his program now, and he's got to do it his own way, and I don't want him looking over his shoulder. People ask me would I have given up one or the other (between coaching and being AD). If I only retire from one, I think it'd be unfair to the person who was going to take over. ... I felt it was best that I step away from both, just to give everybody a clear path to kind of do it their own way.

Over the years, how do you think you were able to find success given the roster size situation at ‘Iolani? How did that process work every year of figuring out how many players you had at your disposal and making a team out of that?

 That is the biggest challenge. Some years there's 60 guys coming out, and some years there's 35. Some years you have a lot of linemen, and some years you're trying to find linemen, or you're trying to convert guys to be linemen. That has always been the challenge — finding enough pieces to put an offense out and a defense out and special teams. But what made it manageable is the kind of kids we get. They're smart kids. They're book smart. Sometimes you gotta teach them a little bit more about how to play on the field, but you explain it to them and they get it. They understand what you're trying to tell them. Sometimes, physically, they might not be able to execute what you want to do, but they're gonna gonna keep trying. They're not gonna give up. That was, again, the biggest challenge, but once we we got all the pieces, it was like playing chess for us, right? Sometimes we got to move pieces that other programs and coaching staffs wouldn't have to think about it. Sometimes you got a 5-foot-6, 155-pound guard and say that's all I got, but that kid's willing to stick his nose in there and try, because he knows that's what's best for the team, and I'm gonna push the heck out of that kid. 

Another part of it was my staff. The longevity of the staff created consistency. I had guys with me from the beginning, and I had a lot of guys for 20 plus years, and that's what made us even stronger, because the kids knew what was expected of them. It was consistent teaching and coaching year after year and why we had success was the consistency of the coaching staff.

(Laughs) Oh geez. The most painful loss was in the state championship game against Hilo. The guy kicked the 

. You go back and you look at it, and shoot. I could have done things better managing the last two minutes of the game, but I thought to myself we're not gonna take the foot off the accelerator, we're gonna go, and if we gotta punt, we're gonna pin them back and they got no timeouts. Who the heck's gonna know the guy's gonna kick a 55-yarder off the damn crossbar? So yeah, that one was painful. I think losing the playoff game to Damien (in 2023) was painful, because that kind of broke the streak of our state tournament appearances. 

I think we've had some exciting wins. There was a state semifinal game here, I think against Kapa‘a (in 2014). Keoni Kordell-Makekau broke one across the field and scored to win the game. We beat Punahou here twice on our field, so those two wins, I think (are up there). Our first state championship (in 2005), we went to the finals the year before against Campbell, and they absolutely destroyed us. It was eye-opening, and that group of seniors coming back the next year really made it a point and a goal to get back to the championship game and win, and they did it, so that first championship was good. The one after COVID (in 2021), that was really satisfying, because it was not only for that senior class, but the senior class before that lost out on playing. That was the senior class that lost to Hilo. They were juniors, then COVID hit, then they lost out their senior year. So the following year, that senior class dedicated that season to those guys. They put their mind to it that we win it not just for us, but for those guys, too, and they did it.

How cool has it been to see your daughter's own football career take off (Note: Kodi Look is the director of football operations for the University of Oregon)?

I think it's her growing up within our program, and being around it (Note: Kodi Look, a 2008 ‘Iolani alumnus, was also the starting kicker for the Raiders under her father). I guess it's in her blood (laughs), and her playing and winning a state championship, too. It kind of just sparked a little bit, and then when she went to Oregon State, a lot of (former University of Hawai‘i assistants) were there: Mike Cavanaugh, Mark Banker, so they took care of her through my relationship with them. They took care of her and started her on her career, and she did that all the way through her four years at Oregon State. She then went to the Arena League in San Jose, and everywhere she's gone, they've had success. She went to the Arena League, and shoot, they won the championship there in their second year. 

... She got a taste of what college football was real quick, because (Mark) Helfrich got fired at Oregon her first year there (in 2016). But through her work, she kind of proved herself that she was worthy of being there. She survived four coaches. (Willie) Taggart was the next one, and then Mario Cristobal came in and actually wanted to take her to Miami with her. She was very close to going, and it would have been a huge career move, but it wasn't all about the money and stuff. She felt that her work wasn't done yet in Eugene, and so she stayed, and coach (Dan) Lanning wanted her to stay. He really appreciated what her reputation has been at Oregon, and so again, she's proving herself to be a worthy member of his staff. I think he really appreciates what she does there. We're really proud of her. I take all the credit (laughs). Everybody says she's a spitting image of me (more laughs).

When you first started out at your alma mater, did you envision yourself spending your entire career there? And what are you going to miss the most about the day-to-day?

Back in the day when I got hired, the headmaster at that time was Dave Coon. He had a saying that this is not your job, this is your calling. You are working at ‘Iolani School because this is your calling. This is where you belong. Have I had thoughts about going to college at times? Yeah, I guess, but I didn't feel that the urge to go was greater than staying here. My place was here, my purpose was here. To do what I've been doing for 35 years, did I expect to stay here for this long? I don't know. It hasn't seemed that long, but it has been. But it's been so rewarding. You work with some of the greatest kids around. I'll miss the people. The people I work with, my office staff, my coaching staff, the athletic staff, they all have the same vision and philosophy of it's not about them, it's about the school, it's about the kids. I'll miss the kids. Obviously, they're the ones that have been the motivation to do what I do, and to see that growth, and seeing them achieve their goals along the way, and kind of being a small part of helping them get there. I'm gonna miss that. But, there's things I won't miss (hearty laugh). It's bittersweet, but it's the right time."

You clearly have a lot of reverence for Father Bray and coach Hamada. A lot of people would put you in that same sentence. How do you want to be remembered at ‘Iolani? 

 If my players can say that yeah, he was tough on us, but he was fair, and he cared about us. That's all it is. If all of them say that, then I did what I was supposed to do. You got to be tough on them, but you want to be fair, and they got to know that, hey, I'm doing this because I care about you.

Any former players stand out in that regard? 

Oh, there's been tons of them. I mean, you look at Ed Ta'amu. He came from Waipahu. Again, you got to be smart enough to come here, because academically, we don't skate on anything, right? We didn't have different programs, we have one academic curriculum, and they're thrown in with National Merit guys, guys with 4.5 GPAs that are taking five AP classes, so they got to be able to keep up, and they come in at eighth, ninth grade. They don't have the academic foundation like some of these kids have, and they don't have the resources that some of these kids have, but the parents know that if they come to ‘Iolani and graduate, they're going to have a head start on life. It takes those kinds of kids time to adjust to ‘Iolani, but to see that kind of guy come here, take advantage of the opportunities that they have, give back to the school in more than just athletics (is the most rewarding part). 

Ed was the Defensive Player of the Year, went to Utah on a full ride scholarship, got drafted by the Minnesota Vikings (in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft), so he made the most of his opportunity. But what a lot of people don't know is that his senior year, he stepped out of his comfort box, and he was the lead in the school spring musical. Who would have thought that this guy would be the lead in the spring musical, but that's what ‘Iolani does to you, right? It gives you opportunities, and it's just a matter of are you going to take advantage of it, and how much are you going to use, and how much are you going to going to experience here? This place offers so much, and it takes the whole staff, the teachers, the counselors, everybody, to help these kids succeed. To see what he has accomplished, really, that's the real satisfaction. You see a kid come from the (public) housing and stuff, and the kind of success that they have now is just amazing, so those are kind of the success stories that people don't see or don't understand. They think everybody coming to ‘Iolani has the silver spoon in their mouth, but they're not, and that's what makes ‘Iolani so special. We take kids from all kinds of backgrounds, but once they get in here, the philosophy is we're going to take them, we will help them succeed. We're not gonna let them fail. So, yeah, there's a lot of those stories there.

Is there anything else you'd like to add that we didn't get to touch on?

For (Hawai‘i high school football coaching veterans) like me, like (former ‘Aiea coach) Wendell Say, Bobby Watson (at Lahainaluna), Cal Lee (at Saint Louis), they're kind of old school guys. They've been around, and they have the right reasons why they do stuff. But people forget that behind every man is a great woman, and they'll be the first to tell you that their wives had a major part in their success, and so did mine. She kind of raised our kids, and I give her the credit for that. The success that our kids have had and their values is a credit to her. So, yeah, you cannot forget about the wives.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Wendell Look 061926

<title>Q&A: Wendell Look reflects on his ‘Iolani career</title>

Look is retiring as the school's athletic director and head football coach on June 30 after spending over four decades at the school.

Q&A: Wendell Look reflects on his ‘Iolani career

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Business & Tourism

 — Oʻahu’s largest Latin American market — just opened its second location.

The business's second retail and wholesale location is in Waipahu. Its grand opening block party will be on Saturday, June 20, in Waipio’s Koa Ridge (in the Royal Koa parking lot). The event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but the retail store will be open for shopping until 6 p.m. The store is currently in its soft opening, and is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Saturday event will feature a variety of local food and beverage partners. Attendees can look forward to pop-up booths with authentic cuisine, music and an exclusive Mercado de la Raza gift (available while supplies last).

“I think a lot of people have been waiting for this moment, and we see lots of kids coming in (to our store), so we want to make it a family event,” says Alex Villarino, who co-owns the business with his wife, Megahn Chun.

“We’re in a very residential area, so we wanted to share a little bit of the culture, and introduce them (community members) to the culture and food,” Chun adds.

Mercado de la Raza has been open since 1994, according to Villarino.

“It’s a common thing in Mexico for a mercado to be known as ‘mercado de la raza,’” he says. “Raza means ‘of the people,’ kind of like ‘market of the people.’”

The husband-and-wife team says they wanted to open in central Oʻahu when it was time to expand to a second location.

“We learned there were a lot of people who were traveling from the North Shore, Kapolei, ‘Ewa Beach, Wahiawā and Mililani to our Beretania store,” Chun says. “We decided when we open a second location, it had to be in Central Oʻahu — just to be closer to everybody and serve these communities.

“It was a journey (to find the right location),” she adds. “It’s never easy to find the right fit.”

Chun recalls how she and Villarino would drive around at night, looking at potential places for their next location.

“When we saw this place, we asked our realtor to come and show it to us,” she says. “After we opened the door, I just felt this is the place. We saw a vision, and this is the place that it had to be.”

This second location has been in the works for about a year, according to Chun. The Waipahu store is bigger than the original store, and it features a warehouse section and retail store. Customers will be able to shop in the larger retail space, which is fully stocked with handmade tortillas, imported beverages and snacks, and more. There are also a variety of dishes, merch, flags and more.

“This is a hybrid location,” Villarino says. “We have one side that is destined to help more of the business owners that are on this side of town. On the right side, we have a retail location; we have a little bit more space here, so we’ll probably have a few more products.”

Customer favorites have included tamarind candy, specialty sodas, empanadas, and — in light of the World Cup — jerseys and flags.

“We have sodas from all over Latin America — from Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina and Peru,” Villarino says. “Sodas are a big thing.”

“It’s definitely a festive place,” Chun adds. “Anything related to empanadas (is popular) — we have ready-made empanadas you can put in the air fryer or oven.”

Partnering with and highlighting up-and-coming businesses is important to Villarino and Chun. At the Beretania store, a local Latino entrepreneur was featured every month, and their products would be sold in the store, according to Chun.

“We would set them up at the front of the store and give them a sales channel,” she says. “We had Raiz Tortillas, Madres Churros and more; we carried all of these locally made brands.”

“We serve a lot of established restaurants, but we want to give the opportunity to a lot of the smaller ones who are just starting,” Villarino says. “A lot of what we do is to support people.”

A dedicated community gathering space — which will host language workshops, cooking classes and other events — will open later this year.

“We can have a little more space for activations here, things that are more geared for the community,” Chun says. “We have a lot more children’s books; we want to have more children’s events, as well.”

The Waipahu store’s hours are the same as its Beretania Street location — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Customers can park in the lot outside the store; street parking is also available.

“Food is the ultimate connector, and we’ve always taken pride in helping people find the exact ingredients that taste like home,” Villarino states. “We want families to walk into this new space and immediately feel a sense of belonging, education and community.

“I think it’s important to show that Latinas are good, hard-working people, and we’re ready to offer so much to the communities,” he adds.

Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays

Mercado de la Raza owners 061526

<title>Mercado de la Raza opens second location in Waipahu</title>

This Latin American market is celebrating the grand opening of its second store this Saturday, June 20, in Waipio’s Koa Ridge. The block party will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This second location is bigger than the business’s original store on South Beretania Street.

Mercado de la Raza opens second location in Waipahu

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Government & Politics

Tuesday marked the filing deadline for prospective political candidates to submit their nomination papers to run for office in the 2026 elections. 

, city and county council seats are up for grabs across the Islands this year, along with mayoral races in Maui and Kaua‘i counties. These races are nonpartisan. Here's who filed as of June 2, according to information from the state 

The 2026 primary election is set for Aug. 8 with the general election following on Nov. 3. Here's who filed:

Waikele, Kunia, Wahiawā, and North Shore to Kahaluʻu)

[{"type":"listItem","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Matt Weyer (incumbent)"}],"text":""}]

Hawai‘i Kai, Kuli‘ou‘ou, Niu Valley, ‘Āina Haina, Wailupe, Wai‘alae Iki, Kalani Valley, Kāhala, Wilhelmina Rise, Kaimukī, Kapahulu, Diamond Head and Waikīkī)

(Portions of Kakaʻako, Downtown Honolulu, Chinatown, Punchbowl, Papakōlea, Pauoa Valley, Nuʻuanu, Iwilei, Liliha, ʻĀlewa Heights, Kalihi and Kalihi Valley)

Aiea, Waimalu, Newtown, Pearl City, Seaview, Crestview, Waipi‘o Gentry, Koa Ridge, Mililani Town and Mililani Mauka

[{"type":"listItem","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Val Aquino Okimoto (incumbent)"}],"text":""}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"underline"}],"text":"Hawaii County Council"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"District 1 (Hilo, Hāmākua, portion of Waimea)"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"District 2 (Hilo, portions of South Hilo)"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"District 4 (Lower Puna, Pāhoa)"}]

(Kā‘u, portions of South Kona, Volcano)

[{"type":"text","text":"Holeka Goro Inaba (incumbent)"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"James Hustace (incumbent)"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"underline"}],"text":"Maui County"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Mayor"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Maui County Council"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"East Maui"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"West Maui"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"Wailuku-Waihe‘e-Waikapu"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"Kahului"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"South Maui"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"Makawao-Ha‘ikū-Pā‘ia"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"Upcountry"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"Lāna‘i"}]

[{"type":"listItem","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Gabe Johnson (incumbent)"}],"text":""}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"Molokaʻi"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"},{"type":"underline"}],"text":"Kaua‘i County"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Kaua‘i County Council"}]

Honolulu Hale 020525

<title>Here's who's running for office in 2026, part 2</title>

Tuesday marked the filing deadline for prospective political candidates. Here's who's on the ballot for city and county elections this year.

Here's who's running for office in 2026, part 2

Francis and Charles Higa, the founders of Zippy's Restaurants, were really more than brothers.

"They were best friends growing up," says Francis' son Jason Higa. "It wasn't surprising, I think, to those that knew the two brothers that they would start a business together."

Zippy's, a popular and iconic institution in the Islands, was founded by the Higa brothers in 1966 and will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year. Aloha State Daily recently caught up with Jason Higa, CEO of Zippy's parent company, FCH Enterprises, to learn about the restaurant's origins, its legacy and more.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"In the beginning"}]

Higa says his dad and uncle were two of six siblings working at a family-owned meat market, which is still operated today by cousins.

"But at that time, Francis and Charlie knew that Higa Meat Market was not going to be big enough to sustain ... six siblings, so they decided to leave [and] start their own business," he told Aloha State Daily earlier this month.

It was the 1960s, and Higa says the pair began to look at different business options. Eventually, they started to talk to restaurant operators — more so drive-in operators, he says. Those operators, though, were quick to discourage the brothers because of their lack of experience — but the pair continued on anyway.

The Higa brothers opened the first Zippy's Restaurant in Honolulu's McCully neighborhood on Oct. 17, 1966.

They had no culinary background, Jason Higa says, so the duo hired Shiro Matsuo, a chef for then-Gov. John Burns. Matsuo, who went on to open his own restaurant called Shiro's Saimin Haven, helped Higa's father and uncle create the first menu for Zippy's.

"He was an excellent cook, came up with all the recipes for our original menu and that's how Zippy's got started."

The restaurant was open 24 hours at the start. Higa says that was unusual for the time and a lot of business in the early years came between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. "because there were no other options."

Zippy's, he says, became a destination for late night movie-goers, customers from the bars that were open until 2 a.m. and hotel workers coming from or headed to late night shifts in Waikīkī.

"We had a very robust customer base because of the 24 hours of operation, of course seven days a week."

In the early days, Higa says his uncle would work 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. or later, and his father would would 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.

"They always felt that one of them should be active at the restaurant to make sure they can support the team members and make sure the customer service was where they wanted it to be," he told ASD. "Growing up, my recollection was my father was always sleeping because he was sleeping during the daytime, preparing to go to work at 6 p.m."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Family traditions"}]

Not surprisingly, Higa — who was around 3 when the first Zippy's opened — says his first job was at Zippy's in Makiki when he was 14.

"My dad wanted me to experience working at an early age and so I worked as a utility dishwasher that first summer, and subsequently would work on the weekends during high school and summers between high school," he says. "I pretty much worked in almost every position in the company over that period before leaving to the Mainland for college."

Higa, though, says he had no desire to lead the company. In fact, after college he went to law school and subsequently spent five years working at a Hawai‘i law firm before returning to Zippy's in 1995. He went through the management training program and worked at various stores and Zippy's central kitchen before taking the leadership position in 2003.

"I had no desire to come back to the family business, but after five years working as an attorney, I realized that there was a special opportunity that I had in terms of coming back to the family business," he says. "The truth is that I think I was motivated from the standpoint of when I grew up, my father was always working, so I really didn't get a chance to get to know him as well as I wanted to. Coming back to the family business in '95 was probably, for me, an opportunity to get to know him better.

"I never worked directly under him at any point before his passing, but I definitely began to understand him as a person, pretty much through the company culture."

[{"type":"text","text":"When his father died, Higa says he didn't feel ready to take the reins."}]

"It eventually took me four years before I realized that, hey, I just got to do my best, and learned over the years how to navigate, how to build our leadership team, how to make decisions. [I] always led by the core values, which gives you a sense of direction in terms of decision-making and that has always helped us to make good decisions along the way."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Legacy"}]

Zippy's has long been popular with kama‘āina. Actor 

 has called it his first stop in the Islands when he visits Hawai‘i. His newest movie, '

' features select scenes filmed at Zippy's ‘Ewa Beach location, and as a tie-in with the movie, Zippy's even offered a limited-time menu item called 

. Former President Barack Obama is said to have frequented the 

 across on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island and in Las Vegas. And if you're wondering, it sells more than 

When asked about Zippy's legacy, Higa says it's a byproduct of the last 60 years.

"As I was in the stores, what was clear is that there was a strong connection between our team members and customers," he says. "We still today have many customers, some of them would come in every day. We had customers that would come in for breakfast and lunch and sometimes even dinner, which is just amazing. And so they, of course, got to know the team members. The team members got to know the customers."

[{"type":"text","text":"The connections are multi-generational, too."}]

Higa says there are team members who have children whose first jobs were at Zippy's, "and then you see the multi-generational evolution of our early customers now bringing in their children and then now grandchildren coming into our locations."

"I think that's just a special part of our relationship with our community," he continued. "Francis and Charlie always understood that they were only successful because of our customers and because of the community, so we have a long history of giving back to the community."

And when he's asked about things that have contributed to the chain's 60-year success, Higa cites the core values that go back to Zippy's founders. 

The company uses the acronym CHIPS: commitment, humility, integrity, passion and supportiveness.

"It's really reflective, I think, of why we have been able to stay in business," he says. "So definitely the level of commitment, but also humility, and humility translates into being willing to learn, to evolve. We certainly have done that over our history, a lot of changes that we have to do in order to adapt."

As an example, Higa cites the Covid-19 pandemic, which he says allowed Zippy's to "make a lot of changes, which are benefiting us today."

[{"type":"text","text":"Meanwhile, integrity is \"essential\" in Hawai‘i."}]

"For Francis and Charlie, the reputation of the business was so important, and there's many examples where they didn't care about profit," Higa says. "They were looking at the long-term and making sure they always did the right thing throughout their history and that, I think, created the trust with our customer base and even internally with our team members."

Supportiveness is reflected in Zippy's growth, he told ASD, "especially in the early years, they were very encouraging of team members to advance into management or other positions of greater responsibility."

"I think what they learned early on [is that] expansion created opportunities for team members to continue to progress and grow within the company. We have many team members that have been with us for decades, and started out as a utility, a counter person ... and today they're in executive leadership or management or they're a key part of our administrative positions."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"60th anniversary"}]

How does it feel to hit this milestone and lead the company across that threshold?

"At times, it feels overwhelming, but I realize that is a privilege, for not just for me, but I know for the executive team or any of our longtime team members," Higa says. "They understand the legacy of our founders and how hard the founders worked and we continue to carry on that legacy by remaining successful, figuring out what we need to figure out, and ensure that we can continue to operate because we also realize that we are providing a living for all of our team members."

Zippy's, which will celebrate the milestone throughout the year, kicked off its anniversary celebration earlier this month with the launch of a new line of 60th anniversary merch.

, includes apparel and accessories inspired by the brand's evolving logos and design history.

Zippy's also will introduce limited-time menu offerings and a series of collaborations with Hawai‘i-based businesses throughout the year, including collabs with Kahala, Hawaiian Island Creations, FITTED Hawai‘i, Keiki Kaukau and others, a recent announcement noted. More will be announced through the year.

Higa, who spoke to ASD between back-to-back Kona Low storm systems that battered the Islands this month, shared his gratitude for Zippy's team members, its customers and the community.

Waipahu1971 01

<title>Zippy's Restaurants celebrates 60th anniversary in 2026</title>

Brothers Francis and Charles Higa opened the first Zippy's Restaurant in Honolulu's McCully neighborhood on Oct. 17, 1966. Aloha State Daily recently caught up with Jason Higa, CEO of Zippy's parent company, FCH Enterprises, to learn about the restaurant's origins, its legacy and more.

Zippy's Restaurants celebrates 60th anniversary in 2026

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Hollywood actor Richard Chamberlain, who was known for his leading roles as the heartthrob in “Dr. Kildare” and “Shōgun,” died on Saturday, March 29, in Hawaiʻi at 90 years old, as reported by the Golden Globes. He died at his home in Waimānalo, as reported by 

Chamberlain was known for his leading roles in “Shōgun” (1980), “The Thorn Birds” (1983), and "Wallenberg” (1985), as well as the original screenplay of “The Bourne Identity” (1988). Over the years, he was 

 taking home awards for his performances in “The Thorn Birds,” “Shōgun,” and “Dr. Kildare.” 

"Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us," said Martin Rabbett, his partner, in a written statement shared on social media and the actor’s website. "How blessed were we to have known such an amazing and loving soul. Love never dies. And our love is under his wings lifting him to his next great adventure."

Chamberlain was born in Los Angeles on March 31, 1934, according to the actor’s website. He grew up in Beverly Hills. He originally wanted to be an artist, but then moved to acting after he was cast as Captain Bluntschli in “Arms and the Man” at Pomona College, where “he brought the house down, on a college-level which led him to change career paths

,” according to the actor’s website. After college, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served 16 months in Korea and rose to sergeant.

His first television appearance was as a guest spot on “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” A dozen other guest roles followed, according to his website. 

Richard Chamberlain

<title>Hawaiʻi resident and “Dr. Kildare” star Richard Chamberlain dies at 90 in Waimānalo</title>

This actor, known for his roles in “Shōgun” (1980), “The Thorn Birds” (1983), as well as “Dr. Kildare” (1961) grew up in California and later moved to Oʻahu.

Daily Smile: Saturday, June 20, 2026

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Daily Smile: Saturday, June 20, 2026

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