Owner of Ankeny's Alohana Hawaiian Grill Teaching Iowans to 'Eat Hawaiian'

Order Spam musubi or loco moco from Alohana Hawaiian Grill in Ankeny and the taste of the islands arrives with the food.

Nay Baccam, 43, of Pleasant Hill, first brought the unusual cuisine to Iowa about three years ago when she opened an Alohana Hawaiian Grill franchise in Clive. Before that, she owned Teriyaki Chicken in that location. Recently, she closed the grill in Clive and moved to 802 S.E. Oralabor Road in Ankeny.

“I had my eye on this location for several years, but it wasn’t until just recently that I was able to acquire it,” Nay said. “My heart was always set on having the business in Ankeny.”

Alohana Hawaiian Grill has been open for about a month at the new Ankeny site. More walk-in traffic and better visibility are two reasons for the move.

“Ankeny is very supportive, as well. There is an owner of a nearby small business who orders from us all the time. She likes the food, but she also said she wants to support local businesses,” Nay said.

Nay, who grew up in Hawaii, likes to work at the cash register where she can talk to people about how they heard of the grill, whether they have been there before and which menu items they like the best.

“I look at it as the people who come in and purchase food as the owners. We are here to serve them," she said. "That’s why instead of telling staff we have people waiting to be served, I just say, ‘we have hungry people.’”

The customers are a mix of those curious about the food, those who have had it before and want it again, people who used to live in Hawaii or hungry folks just passing by. Meats are marinated in a special mix that is unlike most marinades, but is most like a sweet teriyaki marinade with pineapple added. 

Often curious, or perhaps adventurous, customers order the dish called Spam musubi. Spam (known to most people as the chopped, formed ham found in a can) was introduced to Hawaii during World War II and locals incorporated it into their diets, Nay said. Spam musubi consists of fried spam on a bed of steamed rice covered with Hawaiian gravy and wrapped in seaweed. “In Hawaii, you’ll find Spam musubi available in restaurants, but also at about any gas station,” she said.

The dish loco moco consists of two marinated beef patties on a bed of rice, topped with brown gravy and a fried egg. Spam lovers can have the beef patties replaced with fried Spam.

“Hawaiian cooking is really a combination and blending of food from many different cultures,” Nay explained. “I want to train Iowans to eat Hawaiian, bring a little bit of Hawaii here.”

Loyal customer Luana Gibson of Oskaloosa doesn’t need to be trained. She grew up in Hawaii. Luana found the grill when she was looking for some home cooking, and began frequenting the restaurant when it was located in Clive. “Everything really tasted like I was back in Hawaii,” she said. She’s followed the move to Ankeny.

“My husband and kids all loved it so much that when my daughter graduated last year, we had the Kahlua pork and chicken for the reception. People who came through the reception could not believe how good it was,” she said.

The franchise started in California, Nay said, and the company officials were very happy to have her bring the franchise to Iowa. She plans to put her energy into making the Ankeny location the best it can be before thinking about expanding.

Location: 802 S.E. Oralabor Road, Ankeny

Specialty: Hawaiian cuisine

Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Catering available

Contact: (515) 964-2800