Meet Tano and Cristi Phommasith of Little Hawaiian Seafood Grill & Bakery27 in Carrollton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tano and Cristi Phommasith.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Tano and Cristi. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Our success started in September 2003 in a much smaller location. We specialized in fresh seafood, Asian & Hawaiian fusion cuisine. During the financial crisis in 2008 we were face with a decision of our future and questions about who we are as a company.

Our impact to this little community was a sure sign of our hard work and our commitment to be the best restaurant. Since the first day we open, I told my employees of 8 servers and 4 cooks that we will be the Best Restaurant in the west Georgia. We have never lost sight of our goals and stay committed. Today, we currently employed 65 employees in the new location, 206 Rome Street. Located in an 8,00 square feet 114 years old mule barn that was built in 1903. We added our Bakery27 in 2015 for our in-house desserts & breads. Bakery27 is currently expanding to a new location, a much large scale and now servicing metro Atlanta such as East Lake Gold Club, Hyatt and many more. By 2018 we will open our Venue on Cedar Street, a 300 people capacity venue for cooperate meeting, party and wedding, follow with our retail bakery & cafe. We will always be a chef owned and operated company.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s was a challenge being different for us in 2003. Hawaiian restaurant? In a location that 5 restaurants had felled in the last five years? We were written off from day one by everyone. We were lucky if we served 2 to 3 pound of tuna sashimi a week. We are averaging 200 lbs. of fresh fish and shrimp today. We face obstacles and challenge like every business. We stay committed, focus and aware of where we are as a company and more so as a family with our employee “Ohana” is what we are.

Little Hawaiian Seafood Grill & Bakery27 – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are the only Hawaiian restaurant in west Georgia. Little Hawaiian was voted by our community as the Best Restaurant every year since 2009. We offer fish catch from the island and around the world. Our awarded catering, best wedding and 2012 Awarded Silver Spoon by Georgia Trend Magazine. We are proud of our service and our commitment to quality and consistency.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Our proudest moment, I like to say is happening every day, every month and every year. Seeing our customer trying the new fish or dish for the first time, being call to cater to Delta, seeing our new employees being rewarded with an awesome complement, helping our community schools and churches, and learning how to cook a certain dish with our employee.

Contact Info:

• Address: 206 Rome Street
• Website: littlehawaiianrestaurant.com
• Phone: 770-838-1220
• Email: cheftano@aol.com
• Instagram: #lhcarrollton, #lh_bakery27, #cheftano
• Facebook: @littlehawaiiancarrollton

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.