Does anyone actually like Kona Grill?

I took one of the $500 reimbursed Kona shops and my guests and I were absolutely floored by how bad everything was.

The prices are insane for what you get there. A good 40% over other fine dining I've done around my area. The food was merely okay and surely not fine dining level.

The cherry on top was our server who was straight out of Dick's Last Resort ragging on us and making fun of one of our guests who had to wear a mask coming in. A manager and another server were swearing up a storm audibly in the dining room as well.

The entire time I was wondering if any of the other customers actually enjoyed paying for this.

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Never been to Kona Grill. But this thread belongs in a different forum.

I've never heard of Kona Grill.
Sounds like an unpleasant visit.
How many people do you get to feed for $500?

I think this shop was for four people.

IMO, I don't consider Kona Grill as fine-dining. At least in my area, it's a casual and lax environment. Lower expectations.

I looked, there is a Kona Grill relatively close to me. I don't do reimbursement only shops, but I've been known to do a few low paying restaurant shops because I like the food.

Well good to know that you can spend $27 for a burger and fries in a low cost area such as Ohio or Indiana. I thought it was just California charging crazy prices.

There's also a happy hour menu. Here, a lot of the bar-type food and handheld type items are on it.

I did a shop there many years ago. I was NOT impressed.

Never heard of Kona Grill, but I tend to stay away from the high out of pocket expense shops

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2025 08:27PM by DT.

Why

@Morledzep wrote:

Never been to Kona Grill. But this thread belongs in a different forum.

OP originally posted in General Chat.

@DT wrote:

Why

@Morledzep wrote:

Never been to Kona Grill. But this thread belongs in a different forum.

DT, because it's about mystery shopping, not general chat.

The food you must order was certainly not appealing to me. Im not a sushi fan so it was a quick delete for me.

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It caught my eye at first. Then i saw the specific ordering requirements and was not about to bother with it. I am not opposed to going there, but I don't want to have to find 3 other adults to go with and be told what to order. In addition, it said the other guests had to fill something out commenting on the food. Probably not too hard, but still another obstacle.

Hopefully they land the client permanently and then let it be a regular dining shop. I will do it, if they can land the client. It was being shopped thru another MSC, but not with those excessive requirements.

This was the super-specific shop that even required you to ask the server to take a photo of your party, right?

jp43209, I believe so. To me, it seemed like an Instagram-type shop, with a lot of specific ordering requirements. The usual shop is more flexible.

@Morledzep wrote:

I looked, there is a Kona Grill relatively close to me. I don't do reimbursement only shops, but I've been known to do a few low paying restaurant shops because I like the food.

They are NOT reimbursement shops. The 4 people shop paid $40 and the regular shops pay is $10. The report is much easier than the non-fee restaurant shops.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

It caught my eye at first. Then i saw the specific ordering requirements and was not about to bother with it. I am not opposed to going there, but I don't want to have to find 3 other adults to go with and be told what to order. In addition, it said the other guests had to fill something out commenting on the food. Probably not too hard, but still another obstacle.

Hopefully they land the client permanently and then let it be a regular dining shop. I will do it, if they can land the client. It was being shopped thru another MSC, but not with those excessive requirements.

Kona Grill has been shopped regularly for the last 5 years - pre COVID. It is a permanent client for them. I like sushi and their food, but the service is not consistently good and the restaurant in my city is dated.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

I believe my experience is similar to cubbiecat, but I haven't shopped with this MSC as long. I miss the brunch shops. STK is a similar shop/report. I'm not a big fan of Benihana and RA Sushi (earlier acquired) though.

These days, I assume markets and difficulty of report is different for everyone.

Okie - the brunch shop! OMG! So much food and SO YUMMY! The reports back then took like 20 minutes. It's longer now and with a bar. They used to have the takeout shops.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

The take-out shops are still in my area! I don't mind the bar element. Kona Big Wave during Happy Hour is not bad to me.

Edited to add: I remember the morning Mimosas now!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2025 03:54AM by Okie.

@cubbiecat

yes, I have seen Kona Grill shopped in Nevada, but thought it was the same MSC that had Cheba Hut. It seems like that client lost Cheba Hut and I was mistakenly thinking they lost Kona Grill too. I just have never seen the Kona Grills near me shopped (only Nevada) so that is what threw me off there. I am hoping they have the "regular" scenario near me in the future. I am willing to try it.

@Morledzep wrote:

DT, because it's about mystery shopping, not general chat.

This is the mystery shop board, not the general chat board.

I enjoy Kona Grill, but I saw the requirements for the last round of shops and said no way. I don’t care for sushi/seafood. It was a lot of work for the pay. I went on my birthday with my family in my own dime, and I do think their food is quite good. It is higher priced, but you’re also getting a nice atmosphere.

@pegleg2000 wrote:

@Morledzep wrote:

DT, because it's about mystery shopping, not general chat.

This is the mystery shop board, not the general chat board.

Yes peg, but it was originally posted in general chat.

@pegleg2000 , When Morledzep commented that this belongs in a different thread, it had been posted in general chat.
A moderator since moved it.

You have to order about 6 persons worth of food for 4 people. It was an absolute fever dream for my guests and I

@Phoebe70 wrote:

I enjoy Kona Grill, but I saw the requirements for the last round of shops and said no way. I don’t care for sushi/seafood. It was a lot of work for the pay. I went on my birthday with my family in my own dime, and I do think their food is quite good. It is higher priced, but you’re also getting a nice atmosphere.

I don't know which state you live in, but the atmosphere is dated and boring in my state. I go for the food as long as it's a shop.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

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