Desert Island Restaurants

Most people think of the “Aloha Spirit” as Hawaii’s welcoming attitude. In the Hawaiian language, “aloha” has an even deeper meaning. In addition to “hello,” “goodbye,” and “love,” it means “the joyful (oha) sharing (alo) of life energy (ha) in the present (alo).” This is the spirit our team strives to embody every day, whether we are at a restaurant on the islands or in the desert.Founder Randy Schoch felt the Aloha Spirit the moment he became the General Manager at Nick’s Fishmarket in Hawaii at the age of 23. He was fueled by a passion for going above and beyond, and ended up purchasing the restaurant within five years. After opening the chic Black Orchid restaurant and nightclub in Honolulu, Randy acquired the Ruth’s Chris Steak House franchise in Hawaii and began his journey into franchising. In 1995, Randy moved to the mainland and established Desert Island Restaurants. Although the desert was his new home, his connection with the islands stayed strong. Since then, Randy has opened six Ruth’s Chris Steak Houses and two Romano’s Macaroni Grill locations in Hawaii. Inspired by the islands’ melting pot of Asian and American influences, he also introduced Roy’s® to Arizona and California, opened Thaifoon — Taste of Asia®, and launched the Ling & Louie’s Bar and Grill concept, which has grown to 4 locations across the country. The storied success of the Ruth’s Chris Hawaii locations lead Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. – parent company of Ruth’s Chris Steak House – to acquire the six restaurants from Desert Island in late 2017. “With RHGI’s leadership and strength of the Ruth’s Chris Steak House brand, the future of these locations is in excellent hands,” said Schoch. “I’m confident that RHGI will build upon our accomplishments and embrace the island spirit that has continuously guided everything our team members do.” No matter how far we grow, or which desert or island our next restaurant calls home, we will always be rooted in the Aloha Spirit.