How has the slowdown in Japanese tourism affected business?
It hasn’t affected Honolulu as much as it probably affects Lahaina and Wailea. Honolulu’s client base is very different from the two on Maui. Honolulu probably experiences about 85 to 90 percent local clientele vs. 10 to 15 percent for visitors. That’s kind of reversed on Maui. Part of it has to do with the location of the two Maui restaurants. They’re in the resort area. But we have confidence we’ll build a loyal client base on Maui as well. Ruth’s Chris Steak House has been at Restaurant Row for 14 years, Lahaina has been open for five and Wailea for two. Are you looking into expansion? We (Ah Cook and Randy Schoch, owner and chief executive officer of Desert Island Restaurants) have been discussing that the past several months. We want to make sure we get the right property, but we definitely have interest in opening one or two more, possibly on Oahu and we’re also very interested in the Big Island. Inside Hawaii Inc. is a conversation with a member of the Hawaii business community
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