Ruth’s Chris ventures to Kauai

Ruth’s Chris Steak House will open its sixth isle location at Kauai’s The Shops at Kukui‘ula in the fall, as Hawaii restaurateur Randy Schoch expands his domain.

While national chains such as McDonald’s have a presence on Kauai, Schoch believes Ruth’s Chris will be the first nationally branded white-tablecloth restaurant on the Garden Isle.

That isn’t to say Kauai doesn’t have steakhouses. The Bull Shed Restaurant in Kapaa has been serving steak, seafood and more since 1973.

Otherwise, most fine-dining venues have been within the island’s hotels, said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau. She cited Red Salt at the Ko‘a Kea Hotel & Resort, and Kauai Grill, affiliated with globally known chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. But neither venue is a chain, nor is any other chef-driven restaurant on Kauai. She thinks Schoch is correct.

Of Ruth’s Chris’ future location, the center “has become quite the hot spot,” Kanoho said, adding, “It’s going to be exciting to see them here, and we’re looking forward to it.”

The Shops at Kukui‘ula also is home to Eating House 1849 by Roy Yamaguchi, as well as Merriman’s and Merriman’s Gourmet Pizza & Burgers, both by isle chef and restaurateur Peter Merriman.

Schoch previously operated the Poipu Bay Grill and Bar under a consulting agreement, but that was before Hurricane Iniki. After the storm, businesses in damaged areas took a nosedive.

“That was many years ago, and I wasn’t sure that Kauai was ready for a Ruth’s Chris,” he said. But he always thought he’d seriously consider it “if the right opportunity came along.”

Alexander & Baldwin Inc. assembled an agreement Schoch found mutually beneficial. The Kauai Ruth’s Chris will be smaller than his other locations. “We don’t need 300 seats,” he said.

The Poipu restaurant will be just under 4,000 square feet, with about 125 seats, whereas the largest Ruth’s Chris, at the Shops at Mauna Lani on Hawaii island, is 9,250 square feet, due in part to a 1,700-square-foot patio. The recently expanded Waikiki Ruth’s Chris is 8,223 square feet, and the Wailea, Maui, location is about 5,000 square feet.

Schoch recently renewed the lease for the Wailea restaurant for another 10 years, and plans a major renovation in about a year, he said.

Between residents and visitors, Schoch projects that the Kauai restaurant will be sustainable, with an estimated $3.5 million to $4 million in annual sales.

The general manager from the Waikiki location will open the new location, with a staff of about 40, Schoch said.

In addition to Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Schoch’s Arizona-based Desert Island Restaurants is also the Hawaii franchisee for Romano’s Macaroni Grill, with locations at Ala Moana Center and Queen’s MarketPlace in the Waikoloa Resort on Hawaii island. He also has created his own concepts, including Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar & Grill, on the mainland.

Schoch marks two milestones this year. It is his 40th year in the Hawaii restaurant industry — “I moved to Hawaii on May 2, 1977, toting a surfboard and looking for a busboy job” — and he turns 60.

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