You already know labor costs went up this year. We feel you. Between scheduling, training, and keeping your team steady, you’re pulling off a lot every shift. So, let’s talk about what is changing, and a few ideas you can put to work right now. 

Hawaiʻi’s Labor Cost Climate 

Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage climbed to $16 an hour this year and is on its way to $18 by 2028. That means your whole pay scale is shifting, not just entry-level pay, and it’s compounding alongside rising insurance and food costs. Your kitchen feels it whether you’re ready or not, but there’s plenty you can do.

A Few Ideas Worth Trying 

Schedule according to your real numbers, not habits. Look at your sales by shift, not just by week, and staff to what actually happens on your slow Tuesday lunch versus your packed Friday dinner. 

Simplify what your kitchen has to make from scratch. Fewer components, shared ingredients across your dishes, and a menu your whole team can run confidently means you need fewer hands to pull it off. 

Clean up your kitchen’s workflow. A layout that lets your food move without backtracking or bottlenecks can get you the same output from a smaller crew. 

Here’s what we’re talking about:

Fully Cooked Meats 

Pre-cooked proteins take one of the most labor-intensive, safety-sensitive steps out of your kitchen entirely. You don’t have to monitor for doneness, worry about undercooking during a rush, or pull extra hands to your grill during peak hours. Every portion comes out consistent, so you spend less time training, and your team spends less time guessing. Our fully cooked Prairie Creek charbroiled seasoned beef patties and bacon topping, and our Smithfield sliced bacon go straight from freezer to grill, freeing up your cooks for the dishes that need their attention. With every payroll hour costing you more this year, that’s fewer hands tied up on a step you don’t need them on. 

Fully Prepared Dressings 

Ready-made dressings take one of the easiest things to get wrong off your line during a rush. You don’t need to whisk a batch before service, double-check a recipe card, or worry about an inconsistent pour from one shift to the next. Whoever’s on your prep line can move straight from bag to bowl, so you’ve got one less task standing between your kitchen and the next ticket. Our Girard’s lineup, from Carrot Miso Ginger to Chimichurri to Buttermilk Farm Ranch, keeps your condiments tasting like they were made in house.  

Kitchen Essentials 

It might seem manini, but the right kitchen essentials matter more than people give them credit for. Having the right liner, the right towel, and the right scrubber means your team keeps moving without interruption. And you might as well be getting them from the team that is already providing solutions for the rest of your operation. ProPak is Y. Hata’s exclusive line of kitchen essentials, which means you can only get it through us. Adding trash liners, scouring pads, and cloth towels to your existing order means one less vendor to manage and one less delivery to coordinate. It’s a small thing that quietly saves you time on both sides of the kitchen. And it pays off with your guests too!  Studies show that restaurants perceived as clean receive higher ratings for food taste and quality, which means the right supplies aren’t just an operational decision; they’re a guest experience decision too. 

We’re Here to Help

Every little thing adds up, and we know you’re juggling a lot every single shift. Whether it’s finding the right protein to cut your prep time or stocking the right essentials to keep your team moving, we’re here to help you figure it out. Reach out to your Y. Hata sales rep or stop by ChefZone and let’s find what works for your kitchen.