Kerry Ichimasa was born and raised in Honolulu and graduated from the Kamehameha Schools in 1992. He then attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa pursuing a degree in Biology.
Kerry’s introduction to the Food and Beverage industry began when he was 15 years old, working part time as a bus boy at Sun’s Diner. He continued to work there throughout high school and upon graduation, moved on to the Hyatt Regency Waikiki as a host, bus boy and waiter in Musashi Restaurant. During his time at the Hyatt, Kerry became more involved in the hospitality industry discovering that servicing people was much more interesting than studying Biology. Kerry spent four years at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki learning the “basics” of the hospitality industry.
In 1996, Kerry then decided to try and learn more about service and hospitality applying for a position at the renowned Halekulani Hotel. Fortunately for him, he was able to begin work in Orchids Dining Room as a bus boy. He worked as a bus boy for a little over a year before trying to move up in to a position as a waiter. His first foray into learning the “ins and outs” of service was quite an eye opener for him and further fueled his interest in the hospitality industry. Kerry was later presented with an opportunity to see “the other side of the tracks” when he was offered a relief manager position in Orchids Dining Room. This allowed him to maintain his status as a waiter and learn about the management aspects of the operation. After learning about management and their responsibilities, Kerry decided to take the next step in his development and become a full time manager. With this critical decision, Kerry was then placed in the position of Assistant Restaurant Manager and worked in Orchids Dining Room, Lewers Lounge and at the House Without a Key. The intense training, professional and personal development received at The Halekulani Hotel has helped guide him throughout his career.
In 2002, Kerry left the comfortable confines of The Halekulani Hotel and moved to the Kahala Mandarin Oriental, Hawaii as a member of the opening team for their new restaurant, Cabanas Seaside Grill. As the Restaurant Manager, he participated in the training of employees, writing the training manual, menu development and financial analysis. After the successful launch of the restaurant, Kerry felt that it was time to see something other than life in a hotel. In January 2004, he joined Alan Wong’s Restaurant on King Street and is currently one of its restaurant managers.
