L&L Hawaiian BBQ to open one of first NM locations in RR

People may not be able to afford that trip to Hawaii, but they will be able to get a taste of that Aloha vibe at L&L Hawaiian Barbeque when it opens in Rio Rancho later this year.

Husband and wife duo Robert and Stasia Ybarra hope to open their doors to the public sometime in the fall this year.

"It's the comfort food of Hawaii. It's a franchise with over 200 locations in the U.S., and we will be one of the first here in New Mexico," Robert said.

L&L got its start 50 years ago in Kalihi, Hawaii, as a small shop but has since grown into something bigger.

There is another opening in Albuquerque, but the Ybarras say this new location will be specifically catered to Rio Rancho.

"We actually have lived here in Rio Rancho for the last five years. We absolutely love it," Stasia said.

They added that they wanted to bring something that Rio Rancho didn't already have.

"You're like, 'I wonder if they have this,' or, 'I wonder if they have that,' and L&L was on the list and, unfortunately, there weren't any in New Mexico nor any Hawaiian food in the area — and then just the lack of food in this area. Everything is fast food," Robert added.

The Ybarras say L&L is fast food but the food is made to order and offers healthier options than most places do.

The new location will be near Latitudes. They hope construction in the new location will finish by September or October.

When L&L does finally open, the Ybarras are offering a chance for customers to win a free trip to Hawaii.

Stasia says they also plan on doing community outreach, including work with the schools locally.

"Anything we can do to help the community. We're doing this to bring Aloha food to New Mexico. We're doing this to bring that comfort food and to just bring a different style of food," Robert said.

People are already excited about the new addition to Rio Rancho, according to Stasia.

"The people who've never heard of it, it's like, 'Oh, finally something other than chicken, coffee or car wash.' I think everyone's just tired of the car washes and the chicken. Although we will have chicken, it's not the same, it's not the same as everybody else's. It's going to have that Hawaiian flavor," she said.

People can also look forward to some job opportunities. Robert says they will have four to six positions available. The first year they will be hands on as managers but will eventually hire managers, who will have to train in Hawaii.

The couple is very excited to get started and looks forward to its opening. "I hope you're hungry. We got some delicious food coming your way," Robert said.

The only real challenge the Ybarras say they will expect to face is getting people interested in trying L&L.

"We're just excited to come to this community, as community members as well, we're just really excited to come make a difference hopefully help out," Stasia said.

The new location will be at 2340 Grande Blvd. SE. behind Latitudes. An opening date has not been set as the Ybarras wait for construction and other factors.

For information on the menu and the history of L&L, visit the hawaiianbarbecue.com/.