Aloha Food Factory
Get FREE SPAM Musubi or Macadamia Nut Pancake with any 2-item breakfast
or island plate order from June 27 to July 1, 2022! *Available at 2 PM – onwards
Traditional favorites like Oxtail Soup or Stew and Saimin will also be in-stock
from June 27 to July 3, 2022.
About
Co-owner Aaron Luong has always had a passion for food from making fried rice at the age of 8 to cooking in order to survive through college. Slowly, it became a hobby and fun form of expression. “That feeling of nailing a recipe on the 1st or 5th try was gratifying, no matter how complicated. That positive feeling furthers when I get to share that dish with friends and family and see their reactions. During the start of the pandemic, I, like many others, got laid off. My friend James brought the opportunity of Aloha Food Factory up because he saw some of the dishes I made and even tried a handful of them before. We worked together with Betty in order to get Aloha Food Factory up and running again in August after its closing in March 2020.”, Aaron explained.
Aaron grew up in Rosemead and went to SGHS, he then received his Management and Supply Chain undergraduate degree from CSULB. After graduation, he worked in production management for a small nutraceutical company, Airline System Test Engineer at Panasonic, and Field Application Engineering at BenQ alongside Google prior to owning and operating Aloha Food Factory.
27 years ago, Aloha Food Factory was created by Betty and Ernie Tom. The beloved restaurant was shaped by Betty’s wealth of Hawaiian influences growing up and Ernie’s time in Hawaii during his time with the Marines. Together they poured all their time, savings, and investments into establishing Aloha Food Factory.
“Auntie Betty came from a family of cooks and chefs so she had much of the culinary expertise to formulate the menu as well as create unique recipes for popular Hawaiian dishes. She loved the idea of homestyle Hawaiian, where families sit down to enjoy large hearty dishes together. much like how it feels to visit your Auntie for dinner. Auntie Betty had to shut down her restaurant due to COVID in 2020, it was challenging to get things back up and running with all the restrictions in place. I stepped in with my partner James to help Betty re-open AFF in August of 2020. We were finally able to give Betty a good rest and spend more time with her grandchildren. She’s 74 but can still toss 50lb bags of rice around like you wouldn’t believe.”, Aaron added.
When asked about what the Alhambra community loves most about AFF, Aaron described how the restaurant has become a wonderful gathering place for friends and families to enjoy great-tasting food. The Hawaiian food spot also hosts free Luau shows every month for the community and has partnered with organizations for fundraisers to give back to the locals.
“Our Menu is unique because it’s Hawaiian homestyle and offers many things other Hawaiian eateries do not have. We make everything in-house that gives you that classic quality and taste from a mom & pop shop.”
-Aaron Luong, Aloha Food Factory Co-Owner
Almost a year ago, Aloha Food Factory faced the threat of being demolished to make room for an automated car wash. The community voiced their support during city council meetings and this later resulted in over 60 Alhambra community members showing support, sharing treasured memories of the restaurant, and speaking out over concerns of a possible loss of an Alhambran icon.
You can read more about Aloha Food Factory and its roots in this article from Slow + Sustain.
Recommend Items
Macadamia Nut Pancakes
Alhambra’s all-time favorite served with secret cream sauce
Loco Moco Breakfast Plate
100% Beef Patty on rice with scrambled eggs and topped with signature Loco Gravy made of beef short rib renderings and spices.
Spam Musubi
Founder Betty’s take on musubi where it is rolled for easy eating and balanced flavor
Restaurant Events
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Contact
(626)308-0215