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here’s a lot of fear. There are so many personal guarantees if this doesn’t work. It is putting my family house on the line,” admits Jon Muranaka, the new owner of The Counter franchise in Kahala Mall. Since October, Jon has been working full days in the restaurant serving up mouth-watering beef, chicken, Mahi, and even bison burgers with names like Old School; The Classic Cheeseburger; Nashville Hot, a buttermilk-soaked and batter-fried chicken sandwich; and The Impossible Burger, a plant-based burger alternative. Ironically, Jon has never worked in a restaurant or been an entrepreneur; but, mid-pandemic, he made an offer to the previous owner and banked on his knowledge from over twenty successful years in the financial and marketing industries.

Digital ads with search engines and rating sites like Yelp, a strong push on take-out options, and using his local-boy rep is how Jon steadily increased monthly sales and even exceeded last year’s pre-pandemic sales numbers. “I’m from Kaimuki and, yet, I had only eaten here once before I bought it,” Jon notes, as he explains why he felt the brand awareness was the push needed since the food was obviously already a hit. While COVID-19 restrictions are uncomfortable, he sees locals returning regardless,  as many want to support local and appreciate Jon for working the place himself. His strong community spirit has led him to give away free meals during the pandemic through Helping Hands Hawaii, and he hopes to support other local businesses by bringing in local beers to the dine-in menu. One day, Jon also hopes to set up profit sharing for his employees to ensure that they feel they are a part of the team. While he doesn’t get much time outside of the restaurant these days, his family spends Sunday with him at The Counter trusting his gut that “when everything seems to align, you just have to make it work.”