Posted on September 15, 2023
Kalani Mack’s appreciation for Reyn Spooner developed in the mid-1990s when he was a bus driver for O’ahu Transit Services (a.k.a. The Bus) in Honolulu.
While driving the morning express routes from Kaneohe, Hawaii Kai, or Mililani to Honolulu, he would pick up business folks heading to work and would admire all the Aloha wear they would wear, especially on Aloha Fridays. When his father passed away in 2006, Kalani and his brother inherited his collection of Aloha shirts, and his favorite amongst them were the Spooners.
The quality and comfort that Reyn’s were known for made them my go-to Aloha shirt.
Kalani is no longer a bus driver. Today he and his brother Kimo own and operate Mo’ Bettahs – a rapidly growing restaurant chain, with 46 locations spanning six states serving Hawaiian-style food. Kalani and Kimo opened their first Mo’ Bettahs location in Utah in 2008, with the simple goal of sharing the flavors from the islands they grew up on through family recipes passed down from their mom, aunties, and grandma – all with their own unique twist.
With restaurants in Utah, Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Las Vegas "coming soon", Kalani attributes Mo’ Bettahs success and growth to staying true to their roots. From sourcing authentic ingredients from Hawai’i, including Aloha brand shoyu, to designing their dining rooms after a backyard setting, Mo’ Bettahs is spreading Aloha one plate at a time.
In addition to sharing the delicious flavors of Hawai’i, Mo’ Bettahs is also adopting the tradition of Aloha Fridays. What started out as Kalani wearing Spooners to work has quickly caught on, and today everyone from the CEO to the restaurant crews wear Aloha Shirts. In fact, Mo' Bettahs has officially implemented "Aloha Fridays" every Friday.
"I explain to our teams that when you wear an Aloha Shirt, you literally carry yourself differently. You behave professionally and show more Aloha to fellow employees and customers. It really warms my heart, and I feel like we are a little better because of it."
I love sharing with everyone my LOVE for Reyn Spooner and how good they make me feel.
