Start a L&L Hawaiian Barbecue Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #165 Ranked #151 last year

Initial investment: $210K - $840K

Units as of 2024: 227 9.7% over 3 years

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue is a chain of Hawaiian-themed restaurants that offer great food and a distinctive fast-casual dining experience. This franchise restaurant chain was founded in 1976 by Eddie Flores Jr. and Johnson Kam. L&L Hawaiian Barbeque was started as an L&L Drive-Inn chain restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii and was later rebranded when the company came to the mainland.

The company centers around the Hawaiian Plate Lunch, unknown by most mainland Americans. So, they repackaged the 'state food of Hawaii' and built many loyal customers. Today, the franchise has expanded to over 200 locations across the mainland United States and Hawaii. It also has a few international franchises. For more than four decades, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue has continued to serve its customers with nothing but the best Hawaiian Barbecue and the Aloha spirit that has been well-received by many.

Why You May Want to Start a L&L Hawaiian Barbecue Franchise

All franchisees of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue are treated well and considered to be family. The franchisees share the Hawaiian spirit that promotes cooperation and harmony within the company. By starting an L&L Hawaiian Barbecue franchise, you will become part of a dynamic organization that strives to offer diners incredible value in a comfortable and welcoming environment.

Multiple times in the past few years, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue has been ranked in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. As a franchisee of this restaurant, then, you become part of a global chain with an international reputation for excellence. With this kind of status in the market, you get extensive franchise experience and business support.

What Might Make a L&L Hawaiian Barbecue Franchise a Good Choice?

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue can attribute its growth to a decentralized ownership system through franchising. In this system, each of the franchised restaurants is a separately incorporated profit center. The interiors of these restaurants are bright, with scenic views of Hawaii. This kind of branding has enhanced the franchise's success by immersing its customers in the Aloha spirit.

If you want to become a franchisee of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, you will be required to have a company set available liquid capital. Franchisees must also pay a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should be prepared for ongoing fees, including royalty fees, advertising fees, and potential renewal fees.

How Do You Start a L&L Hawaiian Barbecue Franchise?

Start the process of becoming a franchisee by filling out a franchise inquiry form. Upon receipt and review of your application, an L&L Hawaiian Barbecue franchise department member may contact you. A Franchise Disclosure Document that may provide more information on the franchisor will be sent to you, as well.

At this point, you should contact existing franchisees and visit their locations to determine if this franchise opportunity is the right fit for you.

The franchisor does not offer direct financing, so you will have to arrange funding as you identify an optimal location for your business. However, it has partnered with third-party sources to help you with the franchise fee, startup fees, equipment, inventory, and payroll. The company will review your application, and if mutual consent is established, you will receive approval to become an L&L Hawaiian Barbecue franchisee.

Company Overview

About L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Hawaiian Food, Asian Food, Miscellaneous Quick-Service Restaurants
Founded	1976
Parent Company	L&L Franchise Inc.
Leadership	Elisia Flores, CEO
Corporate Address	2138 Algaroba St. Honolulu, HI 96826
Social	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1991 (34 years)
# of employees at HQ	22
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Canada
# of Units	227 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a L&L Hawaiian Barbecue franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$35,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$210,190 - $839,860
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$500,000 - $1,000,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$250,000 - $800,000
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%-4%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	1%-2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	L&L Hawaiian Barbecue has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	120 hours
Classroom Training	18 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	5-8
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes