A Beloved Hawaiian Chain Has Made Its Way To The Continental US — But Only In This State

When people think about fast food, international chains like McDonald's are often the first to come to mind. However, to the shock of many, there are quite a few regional fast food chains across America. These chains are often limited to a specific part of the country and have something of a cult following thanks to the limited access people have to the dishes that these chains have.

Hawaiian fast food chains perfectly illustrate this phenomenon, as the physical confinement to more distant island locations makes these chains a rare experience for many mainland Americans. However, a Hawaiian chain known as Zippy's made the jump in 2023 and expanded to the continental United States, bringing its menu of popular island fare along with it. Granted, the chain has only expanded to Nevada, specifically Las Vegas, but for fans of Hawaiian cuisine, it could be hope that Zippy's will eventually continue its expansion.

Currently, Zippy's has a total of three locations outside of Hawaii, all of which are located in Las Vegas. As for why Zippy's expanded to Las Vegas specifically, this move kind of makes sense given the fact that another popular Hawaiian chain, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, already has a few locations in Las Vegas. The area already seems somewhat primed for this specific cuisine, since Vegas is sometimes referred to as Hawaii's Ninth Island — the city home to a large and growing population of residents who are originally from Hawaii. Plus, Las Vegas is already home to several regional fast food chains that people wish would expand to a national level, like In-N-Out Burger. Combine these factors together and it's easy to see a few potential reasons Zippy's may have chosen Las Vegas as the jumping off point for the chain's continental expansion.

If you've never heard of Zippy's before, it's a chain dedicated to Hawaiian comfort food. Up until its recent expansion to Las Vegas, it only had locations on Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island. The chain is recognized as small but mighty, with a reputation for great food and service outweighing the small amount of locations under its belt.

As for the menu itself, it's extensive. Zippy's serves up famous island fare, like Hawaiian kalua pork, oxtail soup, chicken katsu, and spam musubi. The restaurant's most famous dish is its chili, which you can try with cheese fries, cornbread, or the Hawaiian way with a serving of rice.

This just scratches the surface of what Zippy's has to offer. The chain also serves noodles, burgers, breakfast, fried chicken, and more; Zippy's even has desserts and a full bakery, so you can really make a full meal out of a trip to Zippy's. Overall, there's a lot to enjoy at Zippy's, although the biggest draw is definitely the Hawaiian food, particularly for customers based in Vegas who want a taste of the islands.