Kona restaurants join forces, expand footprint, aim to boost jobs, downtown revival

The faces behind Jackie Rey’s, Harbor House and Umekes Fish Market Bar & Grill have stitched their businesses into something bigger, betting that Kona’s comeback will come from jobs, foot traffic and shared local giving.

The owners formed the Hawai‘i Island Restaurant Group in March, linking three long-running dining names in Kailua-Kona and then expanding by buying the Kona Inn Restaurant and Kona Canoe Club on Aliʻi Drive. The move added two turn-key locations with deep local visibility and historical cachet, and it gave the group a larger footprint aimed squarely at downtown Kona-Kailua revival.

The combined operation now supports about 300 workers, and one of the most practical changes is a single application process that can move job seekers across multiple restaurants. In a market where labor, rent and operating costs can pressure independent operators, the group is trying to make scale work as a local advantage rather than a corporate takeover.

Nakoa Pabre, who owns Umeke’s and serves as executive chairman, said the goal is to be a better employer, a better steward of the land and a better role model in the community. That message fits the way the group is positioning itself: not just as a larger restaurant company, but as a downtown partner trying to help solve several problems at once, from hiring and retention to a slower return of energy in the heart of Kona.

The roster also gives the group a built-in timeline of experience. Harbor House has been operating in Kona for roughly 25 years, Umeke’s has been part of the local scene since 2015, and Jackie Rey’s came under new ownership in August 2025. By bringing those brands together now, the owners are choosing collaboration before broader economic conditions improve, betting that a stronger local network can stabilize the businesses and create better jobs sooner.

Community giving is part of the plan as well. Harbor House already sends a portion of proceeds every fourth Tuesday to the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation, which supports the Hawaiʻi County Fire Department, and the new group wants that kind of support to become a standing practice. For downtown Kona, where storefronts and sidewalks depend on steady activity as much as on any single opening, the pitch is simple: stronger restaurants can mean more workers, more customers and a more durable revival.