MidWeek West - May 19, 2021

FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 19, 2021
MOVING ON UP
Keola Lloyd is climbing the ladder at James Campbell Co. LLC.
SEE PAGE 2
MOTHERLY LOVE
‘Ilima at Leihano celebrated the recent Sunday holiday. SEE PAGE 10
Well-loved Taqueria Is Coming To Kapolei
A PUBLICATION OF
AN EDITION OF
(From left) Shift leader Neria Macadangdang, and servers Alexia Reyes and Vianey Perez, showcase menu items from Taqueria El Ranchero, which is opening a second location at Ka Makana Ali‘i in the coming weeks. ANTHONY CONSILLIO PHOTO
TBY GINGER KELLER
he concept behind Makakilo resident Hector Garcia Gomez’s Wahiawā eat- ery Taqueria El Ranchero, which is
slated to open a second location soon in Kapo- lei, is a personal one.
In 2001, Garcia Gomez, who was 21 years old at the time, was a member of the U.S. Army, stationed in Hawaiʻi. The San Francis- co native longed for Mexican food — along with an environment that felt like home — but nothing came close. When he was sent back to Oʻahu in 2014, Garcia Gomez decided it was time open his own restaurant.
“I always think back to the time when I was a soldier and there was a lot of Hispanics in the military; we all get homesick,” he shares. “When we’re in Hawaiʻi, we crave our food. So, I identified with that, with what soldiers want, which is food from their hometown.
“Opening this taqueria means a lot to me because it’s not just for me, it’s for everybody in Hawaiʻi who’s feeling homesick. It helped me feel at home. It’s not only about the food
SEE PAGE 4