We have been running this exciting promotion since April and time is running out. We wanted to be sure to remind everyone that the $5 Burgers, $5 Fish Tacos, $5 Milk-Shakes deals are ending July 5th. But if you come now after 5pm Tuesday - Friday…you can still get ‘em through July 5, 2019. We hope to see you soon.
GAME ON...GET LUCKY 2019 IS HERE! WILL YOU BE EATING FREE FOR THE YEAR?
It’s that time of year again. Time to Get Lucky at KBAT. Hundreds of prizes and your chance to win free for the year. A prize worth over $1,000. We’ll admit this is a hard prize to win but it can be done. The Davis’s enjoyed lunch on us every week in 2018 and loved every burger and taco of it. There are two things you’ve got to do if you want to win. You have to check-in at Kohala Burger and Taco March 2 thru March 16 to get your entry. Then you have to bring it back on March 17th St. Patrick’s Day. All the luck o’ the Irish to ya!
We are working to restore telephone and on line systems
On December 26, 2108 at about 2pm we experienced internet failure. We were able to restore the systems by about 3pm but they failed again shortly after. Our telephones, Credit Card Payment Systems, and On-line order systems require the internet in order to function. We will be open today Dec 27…cooking food and taking cash even if we are unable to restore internet functions. We apologize for the inconvenience.
on-line ordering & express
Aloha KBAT FANS,
Let me first say Happy Holidays! I am so glad that we have made it back to the season. Things got a bit “dicey” there with the scary mainland press about the volcano and those “big hurricanes”. Seriously…we barely made it, thank you for your support!
I want to remind our regular and new guests, that during the holiday season our on-line order system will be the place where you can beat the holiday crowd and the “holiday prices”.
Beginning December 1, 2018 we will begin updating our on-line order “menu” to reflect only our most popular items, this will streamline the processes and allow us to offer more discounted menu items. Look for them sometime between Dec 1st and Dec 21st.
Our in-house holiday menu will be in effect Dec 21, 2018 to Jan 8, 2019. Some regular menu items may be discontinued during this time and PRICES will reflect our increased “holiday related” costs. Since two holidays fall on Taco Tuesday we will be offering our famous Crunchy Beef Tacos EVERY DAY during the holiday season, every day is Taco Tuesday while Holiday Menus and pricing are in effect. Our Hawaii Grass Fed Beef Crunchy Tacos offer a great value! Get DOS TACOS for only 7.99 or DOS TACOS MEAL DEAL (with fries and a Coke) for only 11.99. Taco Tuesday and other daily walk-in specials are NOT available for on-line ordering.
PLEASE REMEMBER that the on-line order process is designed to work best… when you order well BEFORE you arrive. Sometimes the simple processing of your on-line payment can take up to 5-10 minutes (it’s the internet). Then we have to make your food and it is made to order in the order (or the time YOU requested) as it is received. Please allow min. 25-30 minutes for pick-up. You may also want to place your order early (on line ordering opens at 10:35am) much like “reservations” a limited number of pick-up “time slots” exist and many peak-time slots (11:45am - 2:30pm) may have already been filled with other guest orders. It’s a first come first serve system.
Finally we have found the system to be very reliable! HOWEVER …we do not manage, fix or “trouble-shoot” the internet, your smart phone, your laptop or THE ON-LINE ORDER SYSTEM (it’s the internet) This service is made possible by a “third party provider” NOT KBAT! We all need to understand that it is not perfect! The discounts provided on-line are found ONLY on-line, if the system is down or you simply can’t work it, regular menu prices apply when ordering by telephone or in person. If you can not use the program you may call 808-880-1923 ext.9 to be transferred to the Revel Systems Help Desk or we will be happy to transfer your on-line ordering “trouble call” to ext.9. If you are receiving an error or forbidden 403 or 408 this is a device issue which could be many, many things. Call your device provider, try another device or order from a desktop. If there is a problem with the system… only the Help Desk can fix it or they may let you know when it might be fixed.
Sometimes in Hawaii the internet is down…like a few weeks ago when a truck took out the overhead lines in Kawaihae. When the internet is down in Kawaihae, on-line ordering won’t work! So if you want to eat and we are open and a crew member helps you, regular menu prices will apply. Please do not hassle KBAT staff about your on-line ordering issues or problems we apologize but we do not have the capability to solve them.
Mahalo for your patronage we look forward to seeing you this holiday season.
Chef Cary and the KBAT Crew.
Loyalty and Rewards
Aloha KBAT FANS,
In 2012 we worked closely with a cutting edge mobile marketing company to bring you our KBAT Loyalty and Rewards program. The company, Echo Daily, had produced technology that worked on a tablet which allowed our guests to “sign-up” and “check-in” to get points, rewards and special offers from Kohala Burger and Taco.
The founder of this company passed away in May of 2017. His son’s have been involved in the organization since it’s early beginnings and continue to run the operation today. However as technology races forward they found themselves in a situation where they lacked necessary resources to maintain the databases and programming needed to remain current. The program began to encounter communication issues in the spring of 2018 and became mostly un-functional by summer of 2018. We have been without a program since then.
I am happy to announce that we have partnered with “5 Stars” to once again bring you a cutting edge rewards program and offer a streamlined mobile communications program.
Technicians are working to build our new systems and integrate as much of your existing member information as possible. Our goal is to have the new program in place by Thanksgiving 2018.
We look forward to your next “Check-In”
Mahalo,
Chef Cary
MOBILE REWARDS COMING SOON
Look For Our New Hours!
Aloha KBAT FANS!
Effective October 8, 2015
We’ve got some great news!! By popular demand we are going to be extending our late afternoon hours. This will give you more time to “get off the beach” or “pau” work and still have time to grab an early dinner or late lunch at KBAT. We will be open daily until 5:30pm.
We will also be expanding our “on-line ordering” to allow ordering as late as 4:50pm for pick up times as late as 5:25pm. Imagine ordering on-line and feeding the whole family of 4 for under $40. You’ll be a hero when you get home with a big bag of our Tasty Grass Fed Beef Burgers, Fries and ice cold Cokes!
A few other changes to make note of: We will no longer be open until 7:30pm we will be closing at 5:30pm. Our posted Holiday Hours will remain the same, which is our 11am-4pm abbreviated Holiday Service. (Please refer to Holiday Hours)
Our Dining Hall and Goody Shop will be open Noon-5:30pm, Thursday - Tuesday. The Dining Hall and Goody Shop will be closed on Wednesdays. Wednesdays will be Express Service Only!
Typically our “Express Side” will be open 11:00am-3:00pm, Thursday - Tuesday and 11:00am-5:30pm on Wednesdays. Look for some exciting specials and additional deep discounts when you order “on-line” Wednesdays.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
If you haven’t tried ordering our Express Burgers “On-Line” yet we encourage you to check it out, it is the Big Island’s Best Food Value! Handcrafted and Chef Made High Quality Food…Fast Food Prices!
We have anew menu and a few new policies
under the circus tent!
Aloha KBAT FANS,
The Kawaihae Shopping Center will be closed for fumigation May 14-16, 2018. In preparation for the closure we have been running down our inventory and we apologize if your favorite menu item is not available.
Our plan is to "re-build" our store and perishable food inventories beginning Wednesday May 16, however many of our vendor partners do dot deliver to Kawaihae until Friday, so some items may remain out of stock until Friday afternoon May 18, 2018.
As some of you know the Kawaihae Center was put into a receivership several years ago. This came after many many years of property owner neglect. The space once known as Tres Hombres (My first Chef Job, circa 1991) was left abandoned and vacant in the summer of '09 (I think). It's open air construction has lent to a serious termite problem and this closure has now reached a point of becoming unavoidable.
I just wanted to let you know what's was happening under the tent!
See you next week and thank you for your support.
Chef Cary
Another Chapter
Aloha KBAT FANS and Followers
I wanted to write to let you know things are well and the future has arrived at KBAT!
We are beginning a new chapter in our saga here in Kawaihae. Look for our NEW EXPRESS MENU and we encourage you to begin using ON-LINE ordering! We have invested significant time and money to bring to you one of the Big Island's first independent business ON-LINE ordering systems. Please give it a chance and just try it, I know you have a smart phone!
Many of you who live here or manage businesses know how difficult it can be to properly staff your business with motivated and well trained employees. I have been lucky to be blessed with an experienced and awesome "Core" staff. However as our business has grown over the past few years we have been faced with ongoing staffing issues...and we just can't seem to hire enough folks to keep doing the business the same old way! We currently have 4 positions open and have been seriously understaffed since October of 2017. When I say "seriously" i mean it, we have had to drastically reduce operating hours, close down one side of our restaurant up to 3 days per week, and turn away enormous amounts of catering and other outside business.
Despite offering the Big Island's best QSR Pay, Guaranteed Current Salary Beat, Paid Vacations, Flexible Schedules, Free Food, Company Match Retirement IRA, Insurance, TIP Share, No Late Nights or Early Mornings, Major Holidays off, Safe and Sober work environment, Gasoline Reimbursement and Structured Training...we just don't seem to be able to get ahead! The reality is that this is a very hard job to do well and very few folks are cut out for this type of work. We would be happy to meet you if you are interested in becoming part of our Ohana. We do immediate on the spot interviews from 8:30am - 10:00am, Tues - Friday, no resume, no appointment needed, we are ready to meet you!
So here are the changes we are making:
1. We have sold our Food Truck...no one to run it or drive it except "ME" so it's gone!
2. Beginning Monday March 19, 2018 We will be modifying our "original restaurant" space and "smaller side" to an "EXPRESS" Concept. Plan is to be have it open daily from 11am-3:30pm. We will be offering a streamlined menu concept with packaged "meals" all prepared to "dine-in" or "to-go". Everything is offered at a value "meal" price...but with NO CHANGES or SUBSTITUTIONS. This makes for much easier cashier training or simple for one of our cooks to quickly grab your "Express Order". As we move towards the future I imagine a time when this side of the restaurant will be completely self serve (which is better than having it closed), where we may not have a cashier on duty at all. With that being said we are encouraging you to learn how to ORDER ON-LINE. Save time and money by simply downloading our app and then you can order in a snap. Almost every menu item is available ON-LINE and is priced below our regular menu prices. YOU select your pick up time and method of "pre-payment" then all you do is "march to the front of the line" and grab your food!
3. The NEW "EXPANDED" side of our restaurant and GOODY SHOP will be open regular operating hours for business as usual. You can still get our ALOHA cashier service. We will continue to offer our full regular menu for "dine-in" and "carry-out" guests. We will also be there for those of you who need a little extra menu or ordering help and for those of you who need us to "pull the pickles off" for you.
We look forward to serving you and I truly appreciate your business.
Mahalo
Chef Cary
2018 Bacon Lover's & Get Lucky Official Rules
Rules
THIS IS NOT A TEST...THIS IS REAL!
Due to the the FALSE nuclear attack missile warning this morning, we will be opening at Noon today instead of 11am. Mahalo
ON-LINE ORDERING
Aloha and Happy Holidays,
I wanted to take a moment of your time to remind you that our "on-line" ordering system is up and running!
During the fall of 2017 we invested quite a bit of time and money to make this available to you, "our guests". We have designed the system to save you time and MONEY! That's right...for a limited time, "almost" everything from our "on-line" menu is value priced below our regular menu prices. You can order as a guest or set up a profile, once you set up a profile on-line ordering is even easier.
All you have to do is visit our web sight kohalaburger.com or you can download our "app" at the Apple or Google store.
As we begin our holiday season (Dec 16th) it is important to know that we will not be accepting telephone orders from 11am-4pm, if you need to order ahead you will have to order on-line. The on-line menu is more streamlined and gives you a few less choices for "changing" our food all around, please visit us in person to place orders that require special attention, as we strive to meet your dietary needs.
Our goals are twofold, one, to provide a better experience for the guests who are here "right-now" and plan on "dining-in" with us in our NEW and EXPANDED Kawaihae Dining Hall. Secondly, we are confident that the on-line option will give our locals and regulars best value pricing (be sure to look for the VIP internet specials) speedier service, an opportunity to determine their own pick up time and skip the line.
Mahalo
Chef Cary
CHEF CARY ON THE NEWS
Did you catch Chef Cary on the KITV morning news? Probably not because it was 5:00 in the morning...enjoy!
THE GOODY SHOP!
Have you read about our new Dining Hall and Goody Shop?
By Liz Nakayama Special to West Hawaii Today
KAWAIHAE — Chef Cary Peterson has a surprise for Kohala Burger &Taco (KBAT) patrons — a “sweet” surprise.
Acquiring the space next door, he has added a new but nostalgic candy-and-toy store he’s named the Goody Shop, also providing additional restaurant seating.
Browsing in the store immediately takes one back to a time before cellphones, when kids played with toys and spent time outdoors. For baby boomers it’s an unexpected trip down memory lane and an opportunity, Peterson hopes, for them to share fun memories with their families.
“What this restaurant is all about for me is getting back to my childhood … to the stuff I loved when I was a kid and the stuff my parents liked doing with me,” he said, “like going to get a hamburger and root beer float, or looking at baseball cards and playing Wiffle ball.”
“I imagine a family spending thousands of dollars to come on a Hawaiian vacation and renting a hotel room on the beach, yet their 12-year-old kid is sitting there on a cell phone. My goal for the Goody Shop is to make vintage beach games and toys available and get back to a time when that was how we entertained ourselves.”
In addition to Frisbees and Wiffle balls, the store carries pro-brand footballs and volleyballs as well as silly putty, cap guns, wooden gliders and water balloon launchers and squirters. There are also beach toys, charm bracelets, baseball cards, comic books and replica vintage lunch boxes to go along with old-fashioned candy.
“I wanted to tie it all together with a nostalgic style candy store where you can buy the candy you remember as a kid,” Peterson said.
The Goody Shop’s candy inventory includes jaw breakers, pop rocks, gold nugget gum, pixie sticks, smarties, root beer barrels, Cracker Jacks and atomic fire balls. This month and next month, people can also select from the Goody Shop’s special Halloween selection including glow-in-the-dark vampire fangs, zombie teeth and scary makeup kits. Likewise, the shop will feature Christmas-themed toys and candy during the season and similarly themed selections on other major holidays.
“Customers should expect something new, something exciting and something added on to enhance their experience every time they come,” Peterson said.
He kept his eye on the space next door since opening Kohala Burger seven years ago. It had remained vacant for a couple of years but he and the then-landlord couldn’t come to an agreement on a financially feasible long-term lease. As luck would have it, or maybe with persistence, Peterson was recently given another opportunity to acquire the space. During a chance encounter with owners who were leasing it short-term, he offered to buy them out. They agreed so he took ownership July 1, and overnight KBAT’s footprint doubled.
Rehabbing the space has included painting and a new service and cashier’s counter. And in accordance with Peterson’s vision, there is now picnic-table-style seating for families to sit down together to dine.
His goal is to have the restaurant match on both sides but with one distinction. The north side, or the original narrower restaurant, continues to serve as a get-in-quick, to-go side of the house, while the new area is open for more relaxed dining — good news for diners who previously wanted to sit down to dine but the space wasn’t always available.
The additional remodeled side means Peterson can also now market more of his own products, in response to customer demand.
“We’ve always had a demand for our own hats, T-shirts, taco sauce, salsas and seasoning mix,” he said. “Now we have the room to feature our products and sell T-shirts so people can remember their visit to Hawaii and the day they came to Kawaihae.”
Peterson’s guiding principle through the years he’s been in business is his mission statement, which he has framed and hanging on the wall. It includes the word “create” because that word means that we make this stuff.
“We’re creating this whole experience from the food to the way we approach and talk to you,” he said.
The mission statement also talks about the “fun and familiar.”
“We make our hamburgers the way people remember, on a flat griddle with a hot soft toasted bun and house-made dressing,” he said.
Lastly, when you look at KBAT’s mission statement, you see the word ALOHA.
“Every letter is capitalized because to us, aloha means more than just being nice to people,” Peterson said. “We actually have an Aloha Service System which is something we created and every letter stands for a step in that cycle, from the time customers walk in the door to the time they leave. We train that.”
As a businessman, Peterson practices the aloha philosophy in how he treats his employees. In addition to training them on how to enter the professional world, he gives his employees medical insurance, a retirement plan with a company-match IRA, a bonus profit-share program and time off on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July.
“When I opened Kohala Burger and Taco, never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d be serving 300 people a day,” he said. “I really hope that growth on the Big Island can provide more opportunities for people. I’m hoping to do my part by striving to be the best small employer on the island.”
online ordering
Online ordering is finally here! After several months of trial and error we have launched our first application for online ordering. There are 2 ways to do it. you can visit our web sight at kohalaburger.com or you can download our app for andriod & apple.
The online menu is not our FULL menu but most items are there and many items are priced lower than our FULL in store menu. Take a peek we're sure you'll find your favorites!
Online ordering is available from 11am-4pm daily. This does not necessarily represent our operating store hours as we may be open on some eves as well. Please see our operating calendar for store closing and holiday hours.
When you place your order online, you may order and pay. You will be able to select a pickup time, pickup time slots are limited to every 10 minutes. Your payment will be processed through a secure shopping cart. When you arrive at your selected pickup time all you have to do is pick up your order. Walk up to the front of the line and let the cashier know you ordered online. We will have it ready for you. Remember your pick up time is our contract, we agree to have it ready on time, you agree to be there to pick it up on time...WE DON'T HAVE HEAT-LAMPS and we want you to get the very best quality.
ALL ONLINE ORDERS are packaged for "CARRY OUT", that means you are ordering "To-GO". PLEASE DO NOT ORDER ONLINE if you plan on "DINING-IN", chances are there will be no table available at your pick up time.
Average saving is about .75 per item (some vary) and time savings are tremendous DON'T EVER WAIT IN LINE AGAIN AT KBAT! Try it out and let us know how it all worked, we will continue to work and make improvements to the online ordering process. Our goal is to make the service easier and more efficient. Your feedback is important to us.
In the process of creating the online ordering model, it was our goal to "streamline" "THE" most difficult part of providing fast and efficient service is accommodating "special requests" to orders. We are sorry but you wont find that here, online, we offer what is called "room service" this is designed especially for those who need it "special" this preparation style will provide all condiments and fixings "on the side" so you can make it just how you want. Unfortunately due the cost of packaging items this way we will charge an extra .99 per item. Some items like salads or shakes may not be able to be changed at all. If you require a special order of have dietary restrictions ect... or simply can't bear the thought of having to pull off your own pickles cause you hate em so much (btw did you know that we use hand cut Claussen Kosher Dills?) then come on in and have one of our wonderful cashiers assist you with your order and give you some ALOHA Service, we can make it however you want. But remember the "KBAT way" is time tested and always the best value.
See you on the web.
Chef Cary and The KBAT Crew
KONA CAR HOP JUNE 10, 2017
Slick back your hair or grab your poodle skirt because Saturday night is gonna be Hoppin!
Its a classic 50's style drive in CAR-HOP right here in Kona.
Join Chef Cary and The #KBTMBL Food Truck Crew as they grill up some nostalgic style burgers and Island Style Fresh Fish Tacos! This Saturday at HPM in Kona, its a fundraiser for the Hawaii Island Food Bank as well as a sneak peak at HPM's new showroom and new store grand opening. The food orders will be "rolled" out by the Echo City Knockout Roller Derby Team.
We are so pleased to be called on to participate in this fun night. This event truly is a reflection of our Kawaihae concept where you can still find nostalgic grilled to order hamburgers made with care and from the Islands finest ingredients. Kohala Burger and Taco "IS THAT PLACE" you used to go when you were a kid.
See you there!
Cinco de Mayo
the secret word to win a FREE SOMBRERO is "TACO"
We are open 11-4pm today.
#KBTMBL Food Truck Update
Aloha Food Truck Fans,
The #KBTMBL Food Truck is wrapping up its first winter and spring season. We wanted to say thank you for the support, we are so happy with how things have gone.
The Food Truck is going to be headed to the shop for general maintenance and repairs so we will be having limited service and we wanted to keep you up to date.
We will not be attending the Kona Street Eatz on Friday April 21st. Friday April 28th is still not yet determined (we will keep you posted) We will not be attending the Waimea Farmers Market on April 22 or April 29th, but plan on attending the May 6th "Pop Up Sale".
We will be on Hiatus from Kona Street Eatz for all of May 2017, look for us back in Kona June 2017.
Remember to follow #KBTMBL on your social media to get Food Truck updates and locations.
Mahalo,
Chef Cary
GYROS EVERY THURSDAY - FOOD FIT FOR THE GODS
Thank Zeus its Thursday! For all you Gyros Lover's... now your favorite Gyros are available at #KBAT EVERY THURSDAY! Kronos Brand Lamb and NEW "Kane" Brand Hawaii Grass Fed Beef GYROS. We will also be offering other Island Favorites with a "Mediterranean Twist"
Stay tuned as we roll out these great new items: Fried Zucchini, Kalamari, Greek Salad, Poseidon Seared Tuna Salad and more, all coming soon.
Keep an eye out on our social media was we will be giving away 50 of our own $4 coins to kick off this promotion. Be sure you are part of our "Loyalty and Rewards" program. You can sign up here on our home page, get alerts, specials and freebies!
See you THURSDAYS! #TZIT
#KBTMBL FOOD TRUCK IN WAIMEA SATURDAY'S
We have found a new home for our food truck on Saturday's in Waimea / Kamuela!
We will be attending the Waimea Farmer's Market behind the Waimea Elementary School. Saturday's 8:30am-12:30pm. You can find us easy by turning in at the Kahilu Theatre. Look for our signs.
This is a great market, "Real" Farmers and other goodies, "Total Aloha Vibe". Easy Parking, great prices, fun people!
We hope to see you at the market :)
