What T S Restaurants does

T S Restaurants is a privately held, family-owned restaurant operator founded in 1977 by Rob Thibaut and Sandy Saxten, headquartered in Lahaina, Hawaii, with a regional office in Solana Beach, California. The company operates more than a dozen destination restaurants across Hawaii, California, and Lake Tahoe under multiple branded concepts: Duke's Restaurant and Barefoot Bar (six locations including Waikiki, Maui, Kauai, Malibu, La Jolla, and Huntington Beach), Hula Grill (two Hawaiian Regional Cuisine locations on Maui and Oahu), and single-unit concepts — Kimo's, Leilani's on the Beach, Jake's Del Mar, Keoki's Paradise, and Sunnyside Restaurant and Lodge. The company's signature product is Hula Pie™, a trademarked chocolate-fudge-over-macadamia-ice-cream dessert originated at Kimo's on Maui and served across the portfolio.

T S Restaurants generates revenue through direct dine-in food and beverage sales at company-owned physical locations, targeting tourists and local residents seeking beachfront Hawaiian-inspired dining experiences. Pricing follows standard casual-upscale menu economics, with signature dishes (Hula Pie™, Mai Tais at Duke's Barefoot Bar) and live entertainment anchoring ticket size at premium destination restaurants. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, with marketing driven primarily by organic website traffic, location-based discovery, word-of-mouth, and the company's Legacy of Aloha Foundation (community programs, scholarships, and the Surfrider Foundation Ocean Friendly Restaurant certification). There is no franchise, wholesale, packaged-goods, or delivery-channel business indicated.

There is no proprietary technology platform underpinning the business: the company has no mobile app, no public API, no disclosed integrations, and no AI/ML capability. Operational technology is limited to third-party platforms (gift cards through secure-tree, scholarship applications via SurveyMonkey, and merchandise through tssportswear.com). Governance is family-led, with Susie Saxten as Chairman, CEO Jackie Reed, Corporate Chef Scott McGill, and regional VPs of Operations for Hawaii (Dylan Ching) and California (Josh Morgan); the Thibaut and Saxten families remain active across two generations.

Name

T S Restaurants

Legal name

T S Restaurants

Website

https://tsrestaurants.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

T S Restaurants is a family-owned operator of 12 destination restaurants across Hawaii, California, and Lake Tahoe, running branded concepts including Duke's, Hula Grill, Kimo's, Leilani's, Jake's Del Mar, Keoki's Paradise, and Sunnyside, serving tourists and local residents with beachfront Hawaiian-inspired cuisine and signature trademarked Hula Pie™.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA), Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)

Keywords

• Destination restaurants
• Beachfront dining
• Hawaiian regional cuisine
• Oceanfront restaurants
• Family restaurant group

Headquarters

HQ city

Lahaina

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Food and beverage sales from dine-in service across 12+ restaurant locations in Hawaii and California. Revenue generated from menu sales including entrees, cocktails, and signature desserts like the Hula Pie.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

T S Restaurants operates a portfolio of approximately 11 destination beachfront restaurants across Hawaii and California under distinct branded concepts including Duke's Restaurant and Barefoot Bar (6 locations), Hula Grill (2 locations), Kimo's, Leilani's on the Beach, Jake's Del Mar, Keoki's Paradise, and Sunnyside Restaurant and Lodge. The company serves Hawaiian-inspired cuisine, farm-to-table dishes, signature cocktails, and the trademarked Hula Pie dessert in oceanfront settings, targeting tourists and locals seeking memorable dining experiences.

Product overview

T S Restaurants operates a portfolio of 11 destination restaurants across Hawaii and California under distinct branded concepts, including Duke's Restaurant and Barefoot Bar (6 locations), Hula Grill (2 locations), Kimo's, Leilani's on the Beach, Jake's Del Mar, Keoki's Paradise, and Sunnyside Restaurant and Lodge. The company is known for its signature Hula Pie dessert, beachfront locations with ocean views, and Hawaiian surf culture heritage honoring Duke Kahanamoku. All restaurants share a family-friendly atmosphere emphasizing the 'Aloha spirit,' local ingredients, and farm-to-table practices at Hula Grill locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kimo's Original Hula Pie: Signature dessert consisting of warm chocolate fudge running over vanilla macadamia nut ice cream on a crust of crushed chocolate cookies, invented at Kimo's on Maui.

Products and services

• Duke's Restaurant and Barefoot Bar Beachfront restaurant concept honoring Duke Kahanamoku, offering island-inspired cuisine, live entertainment, and Barefoot Bar with craft cocktails across six locations in Hawaii (Kauai, Maui, Waikiki) and California (Malibu, La Jolla, Huntington Beach).
• Hula Grill Hawaiian Regional Cuisine restaurant embracing farm-to-table practices with a chef-driven approach, operating two locations in Ka'anapali (Maui) and Waikiki.
• Kimo's Original Hula Pie Trademarked signature dessert featuring warm chocolate fudge over vanilla macadamia nut ice cream on a crushed chocolate cookie crust, originated at Kimo's on Maui and served at all T S Restaurant locations.
• Kimo's Original T S Restaurant opened in 1977 on the last waterfront parcel in Old Lahaina Town, Maui; birthplace of the Hula Pie and founding restaurant of the T S tradition.
• Leilani's on the Beach Oceanfront restaurant on Ka'anapali Beach, Maui, celebrating the Hawaiian woman of yesterday, today and tomorrow, and offering contemporary coastal cuisine using the freshest local ingredients.
• Jake's Del Mar Beachfront restaurant in Del Mar, California overlooking the surf, opened in 1981 as T S Restaurants' first California location.
• Keoki's Paradise Family-friendly restaurant in Poipu Beach, Kauai, opened in 1986, featuring a tropical atmosphere and island cuisine.
• Sunnyside Restaurant and Lodge Iconic lakeside restaurant and lodge in West Lake Tahoe, California, acquired and remodeled in 1987, featuring a marina and mountain views.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Surfrider FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Ocean Friendly Restaurants certification program. T S Restaurants participates in Surfrider Foundation's environmental certification showing commitment to protecting oceans and beaches.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• California Pizza Kitchen: California-headquartered casual full-service chain with strong coastal-state presence. Comparable to T S on West Coast full-service positioning and family-friendly appeal, though CPK is mall/lifestyle-center oriented rather than beachfront destination.
• Darden Restaurants: Largest US full-service restaurant operator (Olive Garden, LongHorn, Capital Grille, Eddie V's, Ruth's Chris, etc.). Comparable to T S on full-service destination dining concepts and coastal market presence, but at vastly greater scale and with formal multi-unit operating infrastructure that T S lacks.
• The Cheesecake Factory: Large multi-concept full-service operator with extensive menu, broad family appeal, and high-traffic destination locations (often in malls and tourist districts). Comparable to T S on broad-menu family-friendly full-service, but operates at vastly greater scale and uses standardized formats rather than beachfront destination sites.
• Maggiano's Little Italy: Family-style Italian full-service chain owned by Brinker International. Comparable to T S's Keoki's Paradise and Leilani's concepts on family-friendly full-service dining and group/celebration occasions, though operating in mainland markets and a standardized mall/lifestyle format.

Direct peers

• Hard Rock Cafe: Iconic destination themed-restaurant operator in tourist-heavy locations worldwide. Comparable to T S in destination-dining positioning, branded concept that relies on cultural heritage (rock 'n' roll memorabilia), and tourism-dependent revenue mix across multiple geographies.
• Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar: Island/lifestyle-themed full-service restaurant concept with strong coastal and resort real estate positioning. Highly comparable to Duke's and Hula Grill on tropical/island theming, full-service dining model, and locations in Hawaii, California, and Florida tourist destinations.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House: Premium full-service destination-dining chain specializing in high-end steakhouse experiences. Comparable to T S in upscale positioning, destination-style ambiance, and a portfolio that historically operated in resort and coastal markets — and similarly faces exposure to discretionary dining spend.
• Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Themed destination-dining chain concentrated in waterfront/tourist markets including Hawaii and California. Shares T S's full-service beachfront model, family/casual positioning, and dependence on tourist traffic in locations such as Waikiki, Lahaina, and Monterey.
• Yard House: Large-format casual full-service chain with extensive craft beer/cocktail program, strong presence in coastal/entertainment markets (Hawaii, California, Florida). Comparable to T S on high-volume destination dining, broad menu, and large bar program — a direct competitor for casual beach/coastal occasions.
• Eddie V's Prime Seafood: Upscale coastal full-service seafood restaurant chain owned by Darden. Comparable to T S on premium destination dining, ocean/waterfront real estate positioning, and a craft cocktail bar program that competes with T S's Barefoot Bar experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about T S Restaurants