Dwindling from disease and undercut prices from international banana trade, many of Hawaii's larger banana farms have shutdown over the past few decades. Today, we source from and help support Gabe Sachter-Smith of Hawaii Banana Source to grow organic bananas for our menus. Gabe works on all things banana, including breeding disease resistant varieties destined for commercial production. Text
ABOUT US
Banán was started by four childhood friends, Matt Hong, Zak Barry, Luke Untermann and Galen McCleary with hopes of supporting Hawaii's agriculture and serving healthy food.
ABOUT US
Banán was started by four childhood friends, Matt Hong, Zak Barry, Luke Untermann and Galen McCleary with hopes of supporting Hawaii's agriculture and serving healthy food.
OUR STORY
OUR STORY
OUR STORY
OUR STORY
OUR STORY
OUR STORY
OUR STORY
OUR MISSION
Make the Earth happy.
Make people happy.
Serve righteous food.
OUR MISSION
Make the Earth happy.
Make people happy.
Serve righteous food.
WE ARE IN BUSINESS TO...
Revive Hawaii's banana industry
Create a culture focused on agriculture
We dream of a Hawai’i that can feed itself. We hope to be a part of this change through offering exciting tropical foods and flavors, while using our business as a vessel to not only support local agriculture but inspire its growth. We hope to bring our community closer to the story of their food and realize how our eating choices impact our local and global environments.
Revive Hawaii's banana industry
Dwindling from disease and undercut prices from international banana trade, many of Hawaii's larger banana farms have shutdown over the past few decades. Today, we source from and help support Gabe Sachter-Smith of Hawaii Banana Source to grow organic bananas for our menus. Gabe works on all things banana, including breeding disease resistant varieties in hopes of commercial production.
Create a culture focused on agriculture
We dream of a Hawai’i that can feed itself. We hope to be a part of this change through offering exciting tropical foods and flavors, while using our business as a vessel to not only support local agriculture but inspire its growth. We hope to bring our community closer to the story of their food and realize how our eating choices impact our local and global environments.
Create meaningful jobs
We believe in meaningful management: our employees should be the best products we deliver to the world. Whether it be a seasonal hire or a professional career, we strive to provide meaningful and lasting memories, relationships, and growth in the lives of all. Beach cleanups, volunteer farm visits, bass booming dance parties, silent disco dance parties, and surf sessions have built the foundation of how we play as a family outside of our kitchens. As our brand grows, play shall remain integral to our work.
Create meaningful jobs
We believe in meaningful management: our employees should be the best products we deliver to the world. Whether it be a seasonal hire or a professional career, we strive to provide meaningful and lasting memories, relationships, and growth in the lives of all. Beach cleanups, volunteer farm visits, bass booming dance parties, silent disco dance parties, and surf sessions have built the foundation of how we play as a family outside of our kitchens. As our brand grows, play shall remain integral to our work.
OUR IMPACT
Banán x Hawaii Banana Source
We met Gabe Sachter-Smith of Hawaii Banana Source in 2017. Gabe is an expert, scientist and enthusiast of all things banana. When Gabe isn't farming, he can often be found going on expeditions around the world to aid in research and discovery of undiscovered banana varieties. In return for helping fund a banana nursery, Gabe now grows us certified organic bananas of a variety commercially unavailable in the US – the Gros Michel variety. Why is his nursery important for Hawaii's future? Well, if you're a farmer looking to plant bananas and successively harvest them its not necessarily easy to find 1,000 disease-free baby banana plants through the coconut wireless. Hawaii Banana Source's nursery will work to do so.
Farm-to-Table
We work with Hawaii's farmers, big and small, to make eating a locally grown meal as easy and affordable as possible. We support Hawaii’s local farming community in efforts to reduce the voyage our food must take to arrive at our shores and hence our carbon footprint, while simultaneously stimulating our local economy.
Table-to-Farm
Food waste is the single largest component of waste in American landfills. Rather than simply throw away our waste Banán closes the loop by giving all of our food waste to farms and schools to be used as animal feed and vermicast. Learn more about the zero waste school initiative we provide food waste to at zerowasteschoolhui.org.
