USA. HMSHost has opened the fourth US airport location of rock and roll legend Sammy Hagar’s beach-inspired restaurant concept.
The restaurateur has unveiled the latest Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill at Hawaii’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, in collaboration with joint venture partner GRL Corporation and the former Van Halen singer.
Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill is located in the airport’s Ewa Concourse Terminal. It celebrates Hagar’s “love for great food, beach living, and rock n’ roll music”, HMSHost said.
A traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony will be held on 20 December.
The menu focuses on “approachable high quality food” with the aim of offering something for all types of travellers. HMSHost said Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill was known for its Tex-Mex and traditional American cuisine, and this will be fused with Hawaiian influences at the Honolulu location.
Dishes will include the Baja Style Beer-Battered Mahi Mahi Tacos, Kalua Pork Sliders, Beach Fish & Chips, and Red Rockin Haleakala Wings.
The drinks menu features Hagar’s own Cabo Wabo Tequilia and Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum, which is used in the restaurant’s signature Mint Macadamia Mule.
The restaurant’s interior is a tribute to both Hawaii’s beach-going Aloha lifestyle and rock music. The brightly painted walls and surfboard lighting aim to capture a “beach party mood”, while Hagar’s autographed guitars, hand-written song lyrics, and framed records of Van Halen and solo hits feature as decorations.
“What a blast it is to open a new restaurant with our great partner and rock n’ roll legend Sammy Hagar,” said HMSHost Vice President of Business Development Anthony Alessi. “Travellers love Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill for its delicious food and fun atmosphere, and people flying in and out of Honolulu can now experience the unique vibe of dining at Sammy’s.”
Hagar, also known as The Red Rocker, expressed his excitement at the opening: “Hawaii is one of my favourite places in the world and it’s where my Beach Bar Rum was born so [the airport] is the perfect fit for the newest Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill location. Cheers to my fans and travellers who dine there and I look forward to starting the circle of giving back to the community of Honolulu like we’ve done in our other locations.”
Sammy Hagar will donate his proceeds from this restaurant through the Hagar Family Foundation to benefit local children’s charity HUGS (Help, Understanding & Group Support).
HMSHost has also opened gourmet marketplace Makai Plantation at the airport. The concept offers premium fresh food and gets its name from the Hawaiian term for ‘towards the sea’ as it is located on the seaward side of the airport. It also pays tribute to Hawaii’s history of pineapple and sugar cane cash crop farms that dominated its 19th and 20th century economy.
With sit-down, bar, and fast casual dining options available, Makai Plantation offers a range of locally sourced and inspired dishes including Market Style Ahi Poke, Furikake Crusted Ahi Salad, and Char Siu Chicken Bahn Mi. Local specialties are also offered at a made to order sushi bar.
Another HMSHost marketplace concept, Le’ahi Plantation, is scheduled to open later next year in the Diamond Head Concourse Terminal.
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The company also organises the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards.
