By ED SALVAS
The Kahuna Burger is coming to the Jersey Shore. The Kahuna, which means exceptionally large, is the newest idea from Tim McCloone and will be available in two locations, the First Avenue Pavilion in Asbury Park and Pier Village in Long Branch.
Kahuna Burger will also be the fourth McLoone restaurant on the Asbury Park Boardwalk, joining the Iron Whale, which opened last year, Robinson Ale House, and the Supper Club at the north end of the boardwalk near Convention Hall.
McLoone said the Kahuna Burger was an idea that he and his company officers had talked about almost as a joke but shelved the idea when the pandemic closed everything down last year.
“It’s fast casual,” McLoone said, “with many choices of toppings on a Hawaiian roll with salads, sandwiches, and milkshakes.”
There will be a few seats inside and also outside on the boardwalk
“It’s a grab and go concept and close to the beach,” he said.
McLoone plans to open the Kahuna Burger by Memorial Day and needs a staff of 25.The hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. He said the challenging labor marker and stories of people staying on unemployment rather than looking for work misses a segment of the workforce that is working and setting their own hours.
“Many young people, between 18 and 25 are working for delivery services like Grubhub, Doordash and Uber Eats,” McLoone said. “When they need money they deliver for a few hours and can make $75 quickly. Baby sitters can make $25 an hour”
McLoone also raised the pay for hourly employees at his 12 restaurants to $15.
On March 16, 2020 Tim McLoone laid off 750 employees when the Covid 19 Pandemic forced everything to shut down.
