Fairmont Kea Lani has announced a new general manager for its signature restaurant, Kō.

Benjamin Quick is the new General Manager for Fairmont Kea Lani’s signature restaurant Kō. Courtesy photo.

Benjamin Quick brings more than ten years of progressive restaurant management and hospitality experience to his role. He recently served as the Director of Banquets at Swissotel Chicago. Prior to that, he held positions as Director of Outlets at Fairmont Orchid Hawai‘i as well as Food and Beverage Outlets Manager at Fairmont Chicago. Benjamin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management from Pennsylvania State University.

“We are thrilled to welcome Benjamin to lead Fairmont Kea Lani’s signature restaurant, Kō,” says Michael Pye, general manager at Fairmont Kea Lani.  “Benjamin’s extensive background in food and beverage leadership along with his passion for creating unforgettable experiences will propel the award-winning Kō experience to new heights.”

Kō, which translates to sugarcane in Hawaiian, is inspired by the sugarcane plantation era, a time when people from around the world came to the Hawaiian Islands to work in the sugarcane fields. The plantation workers brought recipes and cooking techniques from home while utilizing the ingredients available to them in the islands. This culinary evolution eventually developed into what is now considered modern Hawaiian cuisine. Through these dishes and family recipes, Kō shares traditions and stories of the island’s immigrants – including Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean and Japanese. For more information, please visit here.