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COURTESY HAWAII RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION
(Clockwise) Kelly Kawachi of Alan Wong's Restaurant, Mychal Ozoa of Alan Wong's Restaurant, Jason Hicks of Gyotaku, Vone Lee of Gyotaku, Melanie Takaya of Pacific Beach Hotel, and Reggie McGregor of Gyotaku
Six Hawaii restaurant employees have been honored for professional excellence by the Hawaii Restaurant Association at a Monday luncheon.
The top three front-of-the-house employees chosen were Melanie Takayama, Pacific Beach Hotel Banquet Captain Supervisor, Mychal Ozoa, hostess and receptionist at Alan Wong’s Restaurant, and Vone Lee, a server at Gyotaku Japanese Restaurant.
The top-three back-of-the-house employees named as winners were Reggie McGregor, a cook at Gyotaku, and prep cook Jason Hicks and cook Kelly Kawachi, both of Alan Wong’s.
Entries were sought from all Hawaii restaurants earlier this year and nominations were submitted by Alan Wong’s Restaurant, Duke’s Waikiki, Genki Sushi – Kauai Genki Sushi – Maui, Gyotaku Japanese Restaurant, Hula Grill Waikiki, Kona Brewing Co., Morton’s, the Steakhouse and Pacific Beach Hotel.
The annual Employee Excellence Awards were designed by the Hawaii Restaurant Association to allow member- and non-member restaurateurs to recognize and publicly honor exceptional employees.
The awards were announced at a luncheon at the Hawaii Prince Hotel.
