L&L Drive-Inn co-founder Eddie Flores will serve lunch to 50 needy families Thursday, to mark the 50th anniversary of his immigration to the United States.

Flores was 16 years old when he arrived aboard the S.S. President Cleveland in 1963, according to a company statement.

He has since become a prominent restaurateur and business leader in Hawaii, and has led the mainland and international expansion of L&L Drive-Inn, known outside of Hawaii as L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. The company is rebranding all of its restaurants to the new nomenclature.

To express thanks to the community, Flores will treat 50 needy families to lunch at the Keeaumoku restaurant, located within Walmart. The families will be selected by the Institute for Human Services, which is marking 35 years of public service in Hawaii.

The families also will receive gift packages courtesy of Walmart, Pepsi, Love’s Bakery, and L&L.