HONOLULU – Recently, Hawaiian Merriman has achieved a long-term goal – every executive chef and management role at every Merriman location is occupied by someone who has been promoted from within the company. This marks a milestone for this respected hospitality group that considers its team “like ‘Ohana'”.
HONOLULU – Recently, Hawaiian Merriman has achieved a long-term goal – every executive chef and management role at every Merriman location is occupied by someone who has been promoted from within the company. This marks a milestone for this respected hospitality group that considers its team “like ‘Ohana'”.
“This has been a long-term goal for the city of Hawaii in Merriman,” said Kristina Schenk, CEO of Merriman Hawaii. “Today, everyone in management is someone who grew up with us. We are fortunate to have a core group of employees at each of our locations that have been with us since the beginning, and we like to keep that tradition going.” Here are other examples from other Hawaii locations in Merriman:
• Merriman’s Kaua’i team has also been upgraded from the inside, with current Executive Chef Dominic Garcia appointed as Chef in 2016 and current General Manager Megan Chalmers as Treasurer in 2009.
• Merriman’s Honolulu welcomed Back Chef Brysen as Executive Chef, who first joined Merriman’s Hawaiian team in 2014, and last served as Senior Ccef at Merriman’s Kapalua. Elizabeth Walters is now the Managing Director when she was previously working in 2017.
• Danielle Cook, current Managing Director of Merriman’s Kapalua, began working with the company as a cocktail server in 2009, and Executive Chef Damian Rubio began working as a chef in 2010.
• At Waimea in Merriman, Benjamin Brinton began his career at Merriman in 2014 as a server, then a floor manager, and eventually as the current General Manager alongside Executive Chef Sean Franco, who started as Assistant Chef in 2021.
Merriman’s Hawaii’i is committed to providing its employee resources and internal growth opportunities because hospitality is the leading industry in Hawaii. They do this by encouraging an environment that facilitates growth and mentorship along with one of the highest hospitality wages (minimum wage of $25 per hour) in Hawaii. All of this ultimately serves their mission of growing a team that feels like family and wants to be promoted within.
