What’s Cooking: L&L Hawaiian Barbecue celebrates SPAM Musubi Day with free giveaways

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – SPAM Musubi has become so synonymous with Hawaii, that a local company created a special holiday to celebrate the popular snack.

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“We didn’t invent SPAM musubi. We just figured something everybody here has been eating since their hanabada days deserved its own day,” said Elisia Flores, CEO of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. “In 2021, we made it official with a proclamation from the Governor and got it recognized nationally.”

L&L chose 8/08 as the date in honor of the state’s area code. So every August 8 is National SPAM Musubi Day.

From noon to 4 p.m. local time, participating L&L Hawaiian Barbecue locations nationwide are giving away one free SPAM Musubi per guest, while supplies last. Some restaurants are also planning entertainment, giveaways and their own local specials.

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L&L Hawaiian Barbecue began more than 70 years ago as a small shop in Honolulu and was transformed in 1976 when Elisia’s dad, Eddie Flores, Jr., and Johnson Kam acquired the business and expanded it across the islands. In 1999, they introduced the franchise to the continental U.S. and coined the term “Hawaiian Barbecue” to introduce new audiences to the Plate Lunch format, consisting of rice, macaroni salad and a choice of protein.

Today, L&L has more than 240 locations worldwide, with a location in Canada opening soon. For more information, visit hawaiianbarbecue.com.

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