Shaka Shack co-owners Donald Kubisch and Amy Griffith met playing softball in San Leandro, but Griffith likes to tell people they met on Craigslist. “Technically, that’s where we learned about the league,” she laughed. Five years of marriage and two kids later, they own a food truck, Locos Only, and now a Hawaiian Cafe called Shaka Shack.
Kubisch and Griffith lived in Alameda for six years before making the move to San Leandro. “We got priced out of Alameda when we had our first kid,” said Griffith. During that time, they enjoyed riding their bikes to Faction Brewing, where they became frequent regulars. One day, they asked the owner if they could do a taco pop-up at the brewery. The pop-up was a huge success. That was in 2017. The following year, the couple got themselves a food truck and dubbed it Locos Only.
They knew they were mostly going to be serving food at the Spirits Alley breweries, so they built their menu around what they felt goes well with beer. “Nachos, loaded fries, burritos,” said Griffith. “But, you know, deep down, he always wanted to do something more Hawaiian,” she said eyeing her husband.
Shaka Shack, located in what used to be the Little House Cafe, is sunshine yellow with bright turquoise trim. “Our goal with this spot was to create a place that felt like you were going on a vacation to Hawaii,” said Griffith, “from the vibes to the music to the food.”
Kubisch is from Hawaii, where his father owned a restaurant. “I grew up in restaurants,” he said.
The couple had talked and dreamed about opening a brick-and-mortar eatery for years. One thing they knew for sure was that “it was going to be Hawaiian breakfast, and it was going to be breakfast all day,” said Griffith.
The first two weekends Shaka Shack was open, the place was packed. With nothing but a post on social media the night before, their soft opening was met with overwhelming support. This past weekend, though, was a little quieter as they ease into the natural flux of the restaurant business.
Kubisch’s favorite item on the menu is the Loco Moco—rice, burger, and egg covered in gravy and topped with green onions. Griffith likes the Loco Moco Tots and the Kalbi Short Ribs. “They’re like his specialty,” she says. “He makes them really good.” Customers have been loving the shave ice and ube latte, as well as the Loco Moco. According to Griffith, the portions are “massive… I told him to make them smaller, but he just says that’s not the Hawaiian way,” she said of her husband’s cooking style.
The Little House Cafe location is special to Kubisch and Griffith, who used to ride their bikes to the cafe for breakfast. Since the spot was such a beloved place to grab a morning cup of coffee, they wanted to ensure a satisfying coffee experience for their Shaka Shack patrons.
“Because this place was a cafe before, we partnered with Signal Coffee,” said Griffith. “We really wanted to not disappoint people who used to come here and have their morning cup of coffee.”
In hopes of serving the early-morning coffee crowd, Shaka Shack’s doors currently open at 7:30 a.m. But they haven’t had much luck with early risers just yet. People start to trickle in a little later for waffles and breakfast burritos. But they’re still holding out hope they don’t have to push back their hours.
This past weekend, Shaka Shack hosted live music next to their outdoor patio, something they hope to continue in the future.
“We want to have live music on weekends,” said Griffith, “We want to be a bright spot for people. We really want to be a place where people can come have good food and a good experience. Just as if you were traveling in Hawaii, walking down the road and you hear a live band and you have delicious food in front of a live band with good music.”
Devout Locos Only fans know the couple sells holiday pies out of their food truck, and that tradition will continue at Shaka Shack. “We love to bake holiday pies,” said Griffith. “Every year we do Thanksgiving and Christmas pie orders. It’ll be nice to do that out of [Shaka Shack] instead of running around delivering to people in the truck.”
Shaka Shack is located at 2300 Blanding Avenue. Currently, the restaurant’s hours are 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekends.
Kelsey Goeres is the Managing Editor of the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Kelsey-Goeres.
