In less than a week’s time, local families got on board with Central Pacific Bank and Central Pacific Bank Foundation’s #KeepHawaiiCooking initiative to achieve its goal of 10,000 meals shared with the community.

This was achieved by splitting the bill and covering 50 percent of the tab for food ordered from favorite local restaurants.

The program, which launched on Friday, March 27, reached its initial goal to reimburse a total of $100,000 for takeout, drive-thru, and home delivered meals from participating restaurants in just three days.

#KeepHawaiiCooking was extended to allow for even more participation, by committing to 10,000 meals, totaling more than $300,000 in donations by Wednesday, April 1.

“#KeepHawaiiCooking took off the moment we launched, and participation from the community has been overwhelming,” said Catherine Ngo, Central Pacific Bank President. “Some of our restaurant partners also let us know they have seen a positive spike in business. The promotion accomplished exactly what we had hoped it would by supporting restaurants and their employees and being part of the ripple effect of people and organizations paying it forward in many ways.”

“We extend our gratitude to the people of Hawaiʻi for stepping up to the call and helping local restaurants at this critical time,” said Kevin Dahlstrom, Central Pacific Bank Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “By extending our commitment to serving 10,000 meals, we hope this gave more restaurants and people across the state who may be coming under challenging times, an opportunity to benefit. Our team is proud to see the positive impact this effort is having in our community.”

#KeepHawaiiCooking is an initiative powered by the Central Pacific Bank Foundation. The program aims to help residents in our community stretch their food dollars further and is also rooted in a commitment to supporting small businesses in Hawaiʻi, especially hard-hit restaurants “to not only survive but more importantly thrive again once we get through the coronavirus crisis.”