Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit
Speaker Spotlight: Eddie Flores, co-founder L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, chairman of L&L Franchise, Inc.
In his RFIS keynote Eddie Flores will share "unconventional" strategies that led L&L Hawaiian Barbecuse to eight consecutive #1 Asian food franchise rankings.
February 13, 2026 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
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ClaudeToday we're shining a spotlight on Eddie Flores, co-founder of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and chairman of L&L Franchise, Inc.
Flores will give the opening keynote at the upcoming Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit, which takes place on March 16-18, 2026, in San Diego, California.
During his keynote, "Franchising the American Dream: The L&L Hawaiian Barbecue Story," he will share inspiring stories from his book "Franchising the American Dream" about building the largest Hawaii-based restaurant chain in the U.S.
We thought it would be fun to get to know Flores a bit better ahead of his appearance at RFIS. Register here.
Describe your current role
I'm the chairman of L&L Franchise Inc. These days I'm not in the weeds running the business day to day. I spend more time thinking long term, working on public-facing efforts and helping develop leaders across the organization. I stay involved by mentoring, supporting franchisees and sharing what I've learned from growing L&L over the years.
What inspired you to work in your industry?
It started as a family thing. I bought a small restaurant for my mother so she could work for herself. Later on, she realized the restaurant business wasn't what she wanted, so I sold it to a close friend. That friend eventually asked for help expanding and one thing led to another. What began as a simple decision turned into L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, and along the way I saw how a straightforward restaurant model could open doors for a lot of people.
What's a common misconception people have about what you do?
People usually assume I came up through the restaurant world. I didn't. My background is in commercial real estate and business brokerage. That's where I learned how deals work, how risk really looks on paper and why fundamentals matter. My first restaurant job was much less glamorous. I washed dishes at the University of Hawaiʻi cafeteria. Having seen both sides, the numbers and the labor, shaped how I think about leadership.
What is one career achievement you're most proud of?
Helping immigrants build a life here. Many L&L franchisees started with very little money and limited English. Most franchise systems wouldn't have given them a chance. We built something simpler and more flexible, and it worked. Watching families create stability and opportunity through ownership is what I'm most proud of.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your industry?
Learn the basics and don't rush past them. Be ready to work harder than you expect to and take risks when they make sense. There aren't any shortcuts. You keep going, even when it gets uncomfortable, and you stay humble enough to keep learning.
What do you do to have fun outside of work?
A lot of my time goes back into the community. I'm involved in revitalizing Chinatown and helping build the largest Filipino Community Center in the country. That work matters to me. Business and community aren't separate things. If you're doing it right, they support each other.
Where did you grow up and how did your upbringing impact the person you are today?
I grew up poor and came to the U.S. at a young age. Those early years stayed with me. They taught me to work hard and not take opportunity for granted. Coming here with very little pushed me to chase the American Dream, and later, to help create that same opportunity for others.
About Judy Mottl
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