The wait is over. Pensacola's first Pounders Hawaiian Grill is now open
The wait is over for Pensacola's first Pounders Hawaiian Grill. The restaurant opened its doors for the first time in a soft-opening Thursday at 7175 N. Davis Highway.
The opening was a sweet surprise for those craving the wildly popular Okaloosa County Hawaiian Grill, as the Pensacola store was initially projected to open in March. When word of the soft opening broke out, there were roughly two dozen people in line waiting for the doors to open Thursday morning.
Like the other two stores under the Pounders name, located in Niceville and Crestview, the Pensacola menu is built around its customizable plates with choice in size, meat and sides.
The first meat option is the teriyaki chicken, which the Pounders family claim is “what they come for.” The boneless chicken thighs are marinated with a house-made teriyaki sauce overnight before being grilled. Other options include the tender, thinly sliced grilled steak, smoky slow-roasted kalua pig and juicy garlic chicken.
Then comes the sides as customers can choose a white rice, brown rice, macaroni salad, leafy greens and cabbage.
Pounders operates as a counter-style service in which numbers are assigned to meal tickets and runners bring the plates to the table. However, employees are known for their "ohana" or family-style hospitality that carry the Spirit of Aloha.
"The Spirit of Aloha is a way of living and treating each other with love and respect. The literal meaning of aloha is “the presence of breath” or “the breath of life.” It originates from “Alo,” meaning presence (front and face) and “ha” meaning breath," Pounders co-owner Kakela Peters told the News Journal. "Its deep meaning starts by teaching ourselves to love our own beings first and afterwards to spread the love to others. Aloha is sending and receiving positive energy and living in harmony. When we live the Spirit of Aloha we create positive feelings and thoughts which become contagious for our team, vendors, and community."
Pounders is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and closed on Sunday and Monday. The grand opening for the Pensacola location is March 9.
For up-to-date information, follow the Pounders Hawaiian Grill Facebook page and website.
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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pounders Hawaiian Grill opens in Pensacola