L & L opening makes Rio Ranchoans say 'ono grinds'

RIO RANCHO — It was packed wall to wall with people March 22 at L&L Hawaiian Barbeque, and customers were entering and leaving with smiles on their faces.

They were all there for the grand opening that was highly anticipated with delays slowing it up at every turn.

Stasia Ybarra, co-owner of L&L Rio Rancho, was relieved to be open at last but there were some changes to staffing because of it.

“We ended up hiring 20 people instead of just six. That’s great, because our business is so popping,” she said.

Ybarra said she was amazed at the turnout.

“As you can see, the line is out the door. We’re just very blessed for the community support,” she added.

But there was another layer to the opening that Ybarra was grateful for. A percentage of all the proceeds from the opening will go to St. Felix Pantry, a local nonprofit food bank. A drawing will also take place to send a couple to Hawaii. The chance to win the trip will run all month long. The trip is for two New Mexicans 21 years of age or older round trip.

Customers were also met with a surprise in front of the building. Ka L Kapu Polynesian Dance School brought hula to the opening.

“We had to bring the Hawaiian culture out here. What better way than to hire the local Polynesian school and to support them, too? So we have them dancing here for two hours as well as passing out leis,” Ybarra said.

The opening was not without its challenges, though. She said there was difficulty keeping enough food in the building for the community. Those issues surfaced at their soft opening.

“Honestly, the first two days, we had to close our doors early due to running out of food. It was just in such high demand. We did not expect that many people, and it double, triple exceeded our expectations,” she said.

The day left people saying “ono grinds,” which means “delicious food” in Hawaiian.