Seven-Brothers

Seven Brothers begins franchising but works to maintain a family atmosphere and the aloha spirit

BY ALEXANDER TUMALIP

Seek Hannemann, owner of Seven Brothers Provo and co-owner of Seven Brothers Laie, said, “Food was never meant to be fast. It was meant to bring us together.” According to him, the family-centered atmosphere is what sets Seven Brothers apart. Even though Seven Brothers signed its first franchising deal in 2020, Hannemann said he wants to maintain that same atmosphere.

Driven by a better purpose

“What the Hannemanns have created makes you feel like you’re one of their own,” said Jones Hughes, a senior at Kahuku High School. “They treat everyone like it’s their first time there,” he said. “As you’re eating, they’ll even come by and talk to you. That’s the sign of their aloha, their love, and it shows they care.”

Hannemann said when Seven Brothers first began, he never could have imagined it would become so well known. “It has been a community effort.” Hannemann said every employee has had that mentality instilled in them. “We are still committed to serving the customer first. We want them to feel cared about.”

Hannemann explained what drives him is how he feels when he wakes up in the morning. “I need something tangible or an emotional connection to get excited about what I do. If money is always your concern, it not only gets old quickly, but also it makes you lose sight of your purpose,” he added. “You start to feel incomplete if you chase after it. The dollars will come since you are driven by a better purpose.”

Hughes said, “I want the community to know [Seven Brothers] represents more than a restaurant. The way they have supported us and the customer service they provide, it feels like a family.”

Gavin Baker, a senior studying communications from Arizona who works for the Hannemanns, said other restaurants cannot duplicate the atmosphere at Seven Brothers. “I’ve learned about the advantages of creating a good work environment,” he said. “The sense of family starts at the top where the Hannemanns treat us like family. It’s fun to be a part of it because it doesn’t feel forced.”

A family-centered atmosphere

Hannemann said he sought to continue spreading the aloha spirit with their first franchise deal, which was signed two months ago. “Once we put the documents out, we got a flood of inquiries. These ranged from families, to single people, even former employees. Listening to all their stories and why they wanted to work with us was amazing.”

Hannemann noted his biggest fear with franchising was maintaining what made Seven Brothers what it is, a family-centered atmosphere. “We connected with the person we signed with on another level, and the situation when we signed the deal was perfect,” he said. “We always had a difficult time hiring people, but we have certain standards to ensure our employees feel like they’re family.”

What made the decision so difficult, Hannemann said, came down to how well the person understood the mission of Seven Brothers, their ability to work with the family and their experience in the business. “We needed that experience because we knew how difficult the transition was ourselves.”

Hannemann said he wants the restaurant to continue on its current path. “Hopefully, people are still feeling the exact things they felt from the beginning, which is a connection to our family, the food or even our employees,” he said.

Support from the community

Hannemann said he wants to see the community help get small businesses to thrive again after the impact COVID-19 has had on them. “If everyone can try to get these businesses in the clear, we can see miracles take place. It goes beyond government funding.”

Hannemann recalled at the start of the pandemic, sales at the restaurant dropped 60 percent in April. “The pandemic was a real slap in the face for everyone. We really had to wing it and see what others were doing,” he said. “We had to work around how people wanted to interact during the pandemic.”

He said the biggest assist came from the restaurant’s online app, which allowed customers to pick up orders in person. “As restaurants change, customers change. They want convenience and communication, but they also want protection against what’s going on,” Hannemann explained.

He added more assistance came from the community. “I remember one man in Provo bought $2,000 worth of gift cards and sold them on his own to support us,” he said. “The community came together and brought us through this time.” Recent months have seen COVID-19 pre-flight testing and safety precautions, which, according to Hannemann, allow for increased optimism for a return to normalcy.

Food was never meant to be fast. It was meant to bring us together. -Seek Hannemann ”

As an employee, Baker said he had to adjust to a different working environment. “We’re doing routine cleanings, using to-go boxes instead of trays and even cooking with a mask on,” he explained. Despite the changes, Baker added interactions with the customers are still important. “I was used to talking with customers, but now it’s more courteous to serve them their food and limit interactions as much as we can,” he said. “Whenever a customer walks in now, we always acknowledge them with, ‘Aloha.’ In the end, we want the customers to still be comfortable.”

Hughes said supporting local businesses, like Seven Brothers, especially during the pandemic, is important. “It’s important to utilize them so they can continue serving the people.” •

Top to bottom: Arthur and Peggy Hannemann, Seven Brothers in Kahuku, employees serving customers in Laie. Photos by Ulziibayar Badamdorj.