Zippy’s

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KAHULUI - The Kahului Zippy's assistant manager began his food career as a teenager selling hamburgers and marinated beef ribs at the former Azeka's Snack Shop counter in Kihei.

Now 30 years old, Ray Cabanting is the Maui face for the Zippy's management team, which is opening up Zippy's first Maui restaurant at Hookele Street and Mokulele Highway. Its grand opening is set for 10:30 a.m. today.

Cabanting, who still resides in Kihei where he grew up, is glad to be back to his roots. He worked his way up from counter help at Azeka's to becoming a server and assistant manager at the Kihei and the Kona Denny's restaurants. He was also a supervisor at the former Tony Roma's in Kihei. He trained at Zippy's on Oahu prior to coming home.

A former supervisor for Cabanting said she knew he was destined to succeed in the food management business.

Edlynn Kaupe worked at Denny's in Kihei when she first met Cabanting, who was then a 16-year-old busboy.

"You could see potential really fast," she said.

He was quickly promoted to a server, then to an assistant manager and went on to the opening team of a Denny's restaurant in Kona, she said.

Cabanting also followed Kaupe to Tony Roma's after coming back from Kona. "He's a hard worker, very dedicated," she said.

The Baldwin High School graduate said his parents are his role models. They emigrated from the Philippines and started off in Hawaii with nothing, but they were able to successfully raise a family.

"They always taught us the value of hard work," he said. "You can get what you want, as long as you work for it."

Cabanting said he got his first job when he was around 10. He rode his bicycle and delivered The Maui News.

Now Cabanting is training to eventually become manager at Zippy's, a restaurant famous on Maui without ever having sold a bowl of saimin here until last week.

"I love it. It's good," Cabanting said about his experience.

He started working for Zippy's around three years ago and has worked at other Zippy's restaurants on Oahu, including locations at Koko Marina, Kaimuki and Dillingham Boulevard.

The Maui Zippy's will be the 25th in the chain, the first outside Oahu. The Maui Zippy's will be open 24 hours and includes a take-out stand with a sit-down area, a Napoleon's Bakery and a restaurant.

If you want to get there, as of last week left-hand turns into Zippy's were not allowed via Hookele Street, but drivers were allowed to make right-hand turns into the restaurant via Hookele. There is another entrance/exit between Zippy's and the King's Cathedral accessible from Mokulele Highway.

Zippy's, which was started by the Higa family, is famous for its heavily promoted chili, as well as fried chicken, Zip Pac (bento box), Zip Min (ramen) and Napples (turnovers).

The Maui Zippy's held a soft-opening launch for about a week, which was originally supposed to be for those with special invitations, especially seniors. However, the general public could get in.

During that time, some customers recognized that prices were higher here compared with Oahu.

Zippy's officials confirmed that "prices are slightly higher due to shipping costs" and that items the company buys on Maui cost more than those on Oahu. A comparison of some food counter items revealed about a 50- to 75-cent price difference.

While the economy is soft, Zippy's officials are optimistic that they can do well on Maui.

Nolle Ajimine, senior operations director for Zippy's, said that like any business, it is affected by the economy. But if the restaurant delivers good, quality food and excellent service, people will pay extra for that and keep coming, he said.

Ajimine will be on hand for around a month to assist with the opening. Manager Jayce Mina from Oahu is also scheduled to be around for about a year to see the operation through.

Mina was pleased with the quality of the 120 Maui employees they have hired.

"They listen, they have good attitudes," Mina said.

Ajimine said he has many employees who are working at Zippy's as a second job. He said workers have come from places such as Wal-Mart and Costco, and also from McDonald's and Denny's.

Cabanting said he was motivated to work for Zippy's after Tony Roma's closed at the Kukui Mall. He said Zippy's is a good company with good benefits and has a "touch of aloha."

Cabanting said his work at Azeka's is what probably motivated him to enter the restaurant business, adding that he "loves to eat."

"It brings everybody to the table. That's why I love the food industry."

Last week, Cabanting was helping train servers, cooks and staff to prepare for today's grand opening. Interviewed at the crowded restaurant on Thursday during the soft opening, he predicted today would probably be "overwhelming."

The only visible glitch in several hours on Thursday was when a server dropped a dish. Cabanting quickly told a hostess to position some cones to keep customers from walking in the area.

Kaupe, who has also joined the Zippy's team with encouragement from Cabanting, says she expects the Maui boy to do well.

She calls him "high strung" but added, "That's what makes him a good manager. He can have his serious moments but he can have fun and get the job done."

Kaupe is training on Oahu to be a Zippy's assistant manager and will return to Maui soon to work, perhaps under Cabanting, who could become the Maui manager.

"I think he'll do very well," she said.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.