Mahi Pono Donates PPE to Local Restaurants

HC&S field work, final sugar harvest. Photo credit: Chris Archer.

Maui farming company Mahi Pono is supporting local restaurants by donating personal protective equipment (PPE) to restaurants listed on Food-A-Go-Go.

With the support of Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation (HAF), 37,500 masks will be distributed in a drive-thru event for registered Food-A-Go-Go restaurants on Monday, June 1 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the HAF office parking lot at 3538 Waialae Avenue, Honolulu. Masks will be mailed to restaurants on Kaua‘i, Maui and the Island of Hawai‘i by request. Masks will also be provided free of charge on a first come, first served basis to Food-A-Go-Go restaurants in packs of 100 per restaurant group, while supplies last.

Restaurants can sign up free of charge to be listed on Food-A-Go-Go and request masks.

As Hawai‘i restaurants prepare to reopen on June 5, personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential for restaurant workers and customers. Many local restaurants have had to suspend dine-in operations since late April and are now opening with loss of revenue and increased costs. The donation from Mahi Pono will help restaurants as they reopen by providing required masks for employees and customers as dine-in service reopens.

“We are happy to support the Food-A-Go-Go community of restaurants and hope it will help offset some of their additional reopening expenses,” says Shan Tsutsui, Mahi Pono senior vice president of operations. “As part of Hawai‘i’s local community, we want do our part to help the industry reassure the general public that safety and sanitation are the highest priorities in the successful reopening of dine-in service and other operations.”

Food-A-Go-Go was launched on March 23 to support all restaurants offering takeout, delivery and curbside pickup during the statewide mandated Stay-At-Home order as COVID-19 forced restaurants to close all dine-in operations. The goal of Food-A-Go-Go is to create broad public awareness of the need to support restaurants which have been severely impacted as social distancing becomes the new normal. Customers can go to FoodAGoGo.org to find the latest up-to-date information on all restaurants that remain open with delivery, takeout and or curbside pickup options, as well as those opening for dine-in services starting June 5. Restaurants interested in obtaining masks and becoming part of the Food-A-Go-Go community of Hawaiʻi restaurants, can sign-up at FoodAGoGo.org.