Aloha, Park City: Mo’bettahs opens in Kimball Junction

Mo'bettahs opened its Park City doors in the former Arby's in Kimball Junction. Photo: Mo’bettahs.

PARK CITY, Utah — Utah-born Hawaiian plate lunch chain Mo’Bettahs officially debuted in Park City in December, marking its first location in Summit County.

The restaurant opened its Park City location on Friday, Dec. 12, following a community-focused Friends & Ohana event the day before. On Thursday, Dec. 11, Mo’Bettahs hosted lunch and dinner events that welcomed community members to stop by for free mini plates, complimentary swag and a first taste of the brand’s Hawaiian-style menu.

The opening brought the fast-growing restaurant, founded in Utah in 2008, to the former Arby’s space in Park City.

“We are very much born and bred Utah,” said Kylee Arreaga, senior marketing director for Mo’Bettahs. “But our story really starts with two brothers who grew up in Hawaii.”

Founders Kimo and Kalani Mac were born and raised on Oahu before moving to Utah in the 1990s and early 2000s. Prior to opening their first restaurant, neither had formal culinary training. Instead, both worked as bus drivers in Hawaii’s public transportation system.

“When they got here, they realized there was a gap,” Arreaga said. “They missed the food they grew up eating as kids and thought, why couldn’t that be us?”

That idea led to the opening of the first Mo’Bettahs location in Bountiful in 2008. While the brand has since expanded into seven states — including Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nevada and Texas — Utah remains its home base, and both founders continue to live in the state.

The menu centers on Hawaiian plate lunches, a tradition that traces back to plantation-era Hawaii, when workers from different backgrounds shared meals and flavors at lunchtime. Today, those plates typically include rice, macaroni salad and a choice of protein.

“This is very much what they grew up eating,” Arreaga said. “It’s true to backyard barbecues and family dinners. There’s a strong cultural spirit behind it — you show up and you’re fed. Everyone’s welcome, everyone’s family.”

That emphasis on hospitality and aloha spirit played a major role in the decision to open in Park City.

“Park City has always been on our radar,” Arreaga said. “It’s the epitome of hospitality, with so many people visiting year-round. The values of the city really align with the values we hold as a brand.”

Fan favorites on the menu include teriyaki chicken made with the restaurant’s house teriyaki sauce, developed in partnership with Aloha Shoyu, and kalua pig, which is slow-cooked for several hours to achieve its signature tenderness. The macaroni salad — a staple of Hawaiian plate lunches — was crafted by Kalani Mac and has remained largely unchanged since the company’s early days.

While the menu has expanded slightly over the years to include options such as steamed vegetables, Arreaga said the brand has been intentional about preserving its original recipes and flavors.

“As we’ve grown, we’ve really tried to keep the menu as close to how it started as possible,” she said. “That authenticity is important to us.”

Ahead of the official opening, the Friends & Ohana event served as both a soft launch and a community introduction. Open to all community members, the event gave locals and visitors alike a chance to sample the food, try items such as spam musubi and get a feel for the brand’s welcoming atmosphere.

Ultimately, Arreaga said the Park City opening represented more than just a new location.

“We see it as our chance to enter the neighborhood,” she said. “We’re excited to bring our food, our culture and that aloha spirit to both locals and travelers here in Park City.”