Hawaiian Bros Island Grill has signed a lease for its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Georgia, with plans to open the fast-casual chain's doors near Georgia State University in downtown Atlanta sometime in early 2027. The new location will sit at 112 Courtland St. NE, inside a mixed-use tower that blends retail, restaurants and student housing just steps from campus.
According to franchising.com, the restaurant is expected to open in early 2027 and will be located at 112 Courtland St. NE, adjacent to Georgia State University. The space sits inside One12 Courtland, which QSR Magazine describes as a well-known mixed-use retail, restaurant and student housing development. Once open, customers will be able to dine in, order delivery or grab pickup, per the same report.
MRCO Takes the Reins on Georgia Growth
The Atlanta restaurant will be owned and operated by MRCO, the franchise group steering Hawaiian Bros' expansion across the Southeast. MRCO brings more than 45 years of restaurant experience and an extensive portfolio of nearly 90 Taco Bell locations to the project, according to franchising.com. The company is leading Hawaiian Bros' growth across North Carolina, West Central Georgia and North Alabama under a recently signed 34-unit development agreement, as QSR Magazine reports.
MRCO CEO Imaan Ferdowsi said the company was proud to bring Hawaiian Bros' first physical location to Georgia and intends to grow throughout the region, according to the franchise's own facts shared alongside the lease announcement. Ferdowsi added that the Atlanta restaurant would serve freshly prepared menu items made in house with high-quality ingredients. MRCO's development footprint also extends to Birmingham, Alabama; Columbus and Macon, Georgia; and Auburn, Alabama, with roughly 10 more restaurants planned for those areas in the coming years.
A Ghost Kitchen Already Serving Atlanta's Eastside
Hawaiian Bros isn't entirely new to metro Atlanta. The chain first entered the market in December 2025 with a ghost kitchen at the Decatur Food Hub serving the city's eastside intown neighborhoods, according to Tomorrow's News Today - Atlanta. The Courtland Street location will join that existing ghost kitchen once it opens, franchising.com reports.
The same local outlet reports the Downtown Atlanta restaurant is being built out in a 2,364-square-foot space on the lobby level of the One12 Courtland student housing tower. It also points to a separate planned location at 6705 Jonesboro Road in Morrow, in Clayton County, though details on that site's construction status or timeline weren't included in the report. Real estate sources cited by the outlet suggest Hawaiian Bros is in active discussions for multiple other locations around metro Atlanta.
What's on the Menu
Hawaiian Bros built its menu around island-inspired plate lunches: juicy chicken and pork glazed with sweet, savory or spicy sauces, paired with macaroni salad, white rice, vegetables and Dole Soft Serve for dessert, per franchising.com. Grant Kreutzer, senior vice president of franchise development for Hawaiian Bros, said the Southeast is a priority for the brand and that the Georgia expansion with MRCO marks an important milestone.
Hawaiian Bros franchise candidates are expected to bring a proven restaurant and hospitality management track record along with at least 10 years of experience franchising fast-casual, quick-service or casual dining brands. The chain says it targets high-growth markets for its expansion and describes itself as guided by values of mutual respect, harmony, gratitude, integrity, innovation and fun.
A Fast-Growing Chain, With Some Conflicting Numbers
Hawaiian Bros launched in 2018, and its growth since then has been rapid by most accounts, though reports differ on exactly how rapid. Franchising.com puts the current count at more than 80 restaurants across 14 states, while KCUR reported 83 restaurants across 14 states as of September 5. Tomorrow's News Today - Atlanta, meanwhile, cited more than 80 locations across 15 states in its October report.
The pipeline figures vary too. QSR Magazine reports more than 350 additional restaurants under development agreements spanning 20 states and over 75 markets with 13 multi-unit franchisees, while KCUR reported nearly 300 additional restaurants under development across 18 states as of early September. KCUR also noted the chain opened 11 restaurants in seven states so far in 2026 and was on pace to open more than one a month through the rest of the year.
Other expansion activity reported by Fast Casual includes development deals signed earlier in 2026 to support growth in Kentucky, Las Vegas and San Antonio, Texas, along with second-half openings planned for Atlanta, Chicago, Texas, Louisiana and the greater Indianapolis market. An earlier MRCO announcement had pointed to an early 2026 opening for its first Hawaiian Bros restaurant, though the most recent reporting from franchising.com and QSR Magazine identifies the Atlanta opening as expected in early 2027.
Georgia State students and downtown workers will have to wait a bit longer for their plate lunches, but the lease signing marks the chain's first real foothold in the state beyond delivery-only service, as Retail & Leisure International later reported.
