The faces you’ll see in the dining room and the kitchen here on Kahakai Road.
Dave Wilson
General Manager, Huggo's
Dave Wilson came to Huggo's a little over a year ago from Manny's Steakhouse in Minneapolis, trading the Midwest for Kona's shoreline. What won him over is the 'ohana culture and the relationships that grow between guests and servers, the kind of history you feel when visitors come back year after year asking for their favorite server by name. His pick on the menu is the dry-aged ribeye, a special-occasion treat for someone who usually gravitates toward seafood. When he's not on the floor, you'll find him offshore, fishing.
Brentt Martin
Assistant General Manager, Huggo's
A Kona native, Brentt Martin believes local businesses have a responsibility to support the community that supports them, and it's Luana Hospitality Group's commitment to giving back that has kept him here for more than a decade. His experience also includes Sam Choy's Kai Lanai and a brief stint at Four Seasons Resort Hual'lai. What has kept him in hospitality all these years is the chance to help create moments people carry with them: the celebrations, dinners, and experiences that become part of someone's memory of Hawai'i. Ask him what to order and he'll point you toward the Wafu Dashi Pork Chop, a 16-ounce Duroc Berkshire pork chop brined in wafu-dashi broth and finished generously with butter. Away from the restaurant, Brentt is usually doing something that keeps him connected to the island: off-roading, exploring, talking cars, enjoying wine, or simply finding a reason to get outside.
Shane Torres
Corporate Operational Chef
"There's something special about creating something with your own two hands and seeing it become something genuinely brilliant." That's how Shane Torres sums up a career built in kitchens across Hawai'i, from Executive Chef at Macaroni Grill, Sansei, and Cafe Pesto to becoming a part owner of Taco Jalisco, before joining Luana nearly four years ago. He loves creating, learning, and mentoring, and he thrives on the adrenaline of a busy kitchen. His favorite dish is a 30-day kapahi whiskey-rubbed dry-aged rib eye with creamy pommes pur'e, lemon-'inamona compound butter, and poha berry marmalade. Off the line, he's golfing, spearfishing, or working in the yard.
Albert J. Asuncion
Executive Chef, Huggo's
Long before the chef's whites, Albert J. Asuncion was working on a coffee farm. Then came 1972, when he first walked into Huggo's and spent eight years as part of the team, the start of a culinary life built almost entirely on Hawai'i Island. These days, what keeps him in the kitchen is the crew: mentoring younger cooks, trading ideas with fellow chefs, and making sure every guest leaves with a great memory, not just a meal. His order never changes, steak and seafood, the classics. When he's off the clock he's fishing, golfing, bodysurfing, or camping. Ask him who he is and he'll tell you he's just a "local boy making it as a chef."
