Al’s Aloha Kitchen is coming to Bluffton.
The restaurant, which marked its fifth anniversary of serving up poke bowls and smoothies on Hilton Head’s south end last summer, will be opening a second location along Buckwalter Parkway in the Washington Square development.
“We’re excited to be in a place that’s brand new,” said Alex Vitto, the restaurant’s owner.
The Bluffton restaurant will be larger than the Hilton Head location, but much of the extra space will be in the kitchen gearing it up for heavier year-round business instead of one with seasonal ebbs and flows on the island.
“We plan to be the fastest restaurant in Bluffton,” Vitto said.
He said he doesn’t plan to change the menu that customers regularly drive across the bridge for. It now features an assortment of poke bowls, superfruit bowls, coffee and smoothies.
“We’ve done so well with Aloha, I’m really not trying to mess with it too much,” he said. “Hopefully there will be more locations down the road.”
Vitto grew up on Hilton Head and has worked more than two decades in restaurants. Living and working with his wife Tori’s family at Sunset Suratt Surf Academy in Hawaii gave the couple inspiration first for Al’s Aloha Kitchen and then for a ramen restaurant called Nood, which they opened in Coligny Plaza in 2021.
Last year, they rebranded Nood from a walk-in restaurant into a hibachi catering business. They sold the physical location, which is now home to Bad Biscuit.
Alex Vitto wasn’t ready to commit to a specific opening date for the new Al’s Aloha Kitchen in Bluffton because the property is still being developed.
“Coming very soon,” he said.
Signs at the Washington Square location say Palmetto Running Company and Birdie James clothing and accessories store are also coming soon.
In the meantime, you can find Al’s Aloha Kitchen at 70 Pope Ave. on Hilton Head. The restaurant is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Check out the menu or order online at alsalohakitchen.com.
Lisa Wilson is senior reporter for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette covering restaurant and retail business openings and closings along with occasional breaking news. The newsroom veteran has worked for papers in Louisiana and Mississippi and is happy to call the Lowcountry home.
