KAILUA-KONA — Hawaii’s two Romano’s Macaroni Grill franchises won’t be impacted after the national chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday.
Desert Island Restaurants, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, owns and operates both locations in Hawaii — one in Honolulu and the other in Waikoloa on the Big Island.
The company also has five Ruth’s Chris Steak House locations throughout the state, including one on Hawaii Island. A sixth will soon open on Kauai.
Emi Espinda, director of sales and marketing for Desert Island Restaurants, said both of the company’s Romano’s Macaroni Grill locations operate as franchises and are under entirely separate ownership than those that will be impacted by the bankruptcy filing.
“Our two Hawaii restaurants are completely unaffected by this corporate re-organization,” Espinda said. “We’re completely separate.”
She added both restaurants are among the most successful Romano’s Macaroni Grill franchises in the entire chain.
“For us, it’s business as usual,” she said.
Desert Island Restaurants’ Hawaii locations are affiliated with the national chain only by way of the licensing agreement. Espinda said the nature of that relationship is not set to change.
The national chain, owned by Mac Acquisition LLC, told the Associated Press it plans to continue operating the 93 locations it currently owns on the mainland despite the bankruptcy filing. It has, however, closed 40 of its restaurants in 2017.