BraddahHood Grindz extends philanthropic efforts to next generation

HONOLULU — Four years ago, Braddahhood Grindz was just four restaurant owners taking turns to feed the University of Hawai’i football team during the summer months.

Since then, it has grown to include 25 participating restaurants and 50 corporate sponsors helping to feed over 300 student-athletes as well as providing career development opportunities through internships and full-time jobs.

Year four marks another significant milestone to Braddahhood Grindz’s contributions to the community — the next generation.

In a press conference Tuesday afternoon at Giovanni Pastrami, Braddahhood Grindz announced a new program in partnership with the Hawai’i High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) to help inspire local student-athletes at the high school level through opportunities to meet, network and learn from current college players.

“Our year four purpose is more clearer than ever: “we’ll continue to nourish, to develop and to raise the next generation of leaders, on the field, in their careers and in their communities,” said Ryan Tanaka, owner of Giovanni Pastrami and founder of Braddahhood and Sistahhood Grindz.

The announcement coincided with Braddahhood Grindz kicking-off its fourth year of supporting the university with members of the Big West championship-winning men’s volleyball team present.

The Rainbow Warriors were joined by the 2024 HHSAA boys volleyball state champions in Division I winner Kamehameha-Kapalama and Division II winner University Lab.

“We’re grateful just to be a part of this, this is something that’s new, innovative,” said Rob Hesia, director of campus athletics and human performance at Kamehameha-Kapalama.

“Our student athletes don’t get the opportunity to do these type of events and some of them are going to be a Division I athlete soon enough and they’re going to be thrusted into this type of world.”

In a college athletics world where Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) usually translates to how much money a collegiate athlete is getting paid, this new program started by Braddahhood Grindz gives student-athletes a chance to utilize their experiences to inspire the next generation.

“When you take a state championship team and you have them meet a college team, it’s more than just a meeting, it’s a transformational experience,” said Tanaka.

“It’s giving these high school players a chance to sit with college players across the table, they can see their future could be a reality, their dream could be a reality. It’s a way for them to discover a face, a name and a story that’s very similar to their own.”

It’s also an opportunity for the collegiate athletes to reflect on the humble beginnings that they came from.

“They’re looking at the high school athlete realizing that was them not long ago, that was how they started,” said Tanaka.

“Their hunger, their determination, their uncertainty and the selfness from so many of their administrators, coaches, teammates, family members and volunteers who poured countless hours to bring them to where they are today. No one, as good as they are, no one does this alone.”

Tanaka noted that the nature of this program is true to the ideals and values that make the state of Hawai’i great.

“In Hawai’i, we’re raised to believe that we want more for others and for ourselves. We want more for the next generation, for what was given to us. That’s why this group of stakeholders has not just grown together, but we’ve expanded, we’ve become stronger than ever.”