Hawaiian Bros Island Grill opens Waukee restaurant

• BraveHart Development opened the franchise and also owns several Scooters Coffees and hotels around the state.

State of play: The Kansas City-based chain focuses on "plate lunch" — a Hawaiian-style meal with rice, macaroni salad and a protein, co-owner David Pedelty tells Axios.

Details: The fast-casual restaurant seats 68 people and has a drive-thru and patio.

• Customers can also order from the counter or a kiosk inside with staff delivering meals to tables.
• Plates cost around $11.95.

The menu: Dishes include huli huli chicken — a marinated, teriyaki chicken; luau pig — a slow-roasted, seasoned pork dish; and Spam musubi — grilled spam with rice, wrapped in seaweed.

• Other options include salads, wraps, dole whip for dessert and "Hawaiian Sun" juice drinks.

What they're saying: "We wanted to diversify, but we didn't want to do the same old," Pedelty says on the decision to open a franchise. "We love the fact that Hawaiian Bros was real food, no freezers, no fryers, no microwaves."

What's next: Pedelty says they want to own 10 Iowa locations, with half of them in the metro.

• The group's first location is in Davenport.

If you go: 11am-10pm, Sunday-Thursday; 11am-11pm, Friday-Saturday

• 1005 SE Alice's Road, Waukee