Talk:Kona Grill

WP:FOOD Tagging
This article talk page was automatically added with WikiProject Food and drink banner as it falls under Category:Restaurants or one of its subcategories. If you find this addition an error, Kindly undo the changes and update the inappropriate categories if needed. You can find the related request for tagging here -- TinucherianBot (talk) 10:07, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Article focus
This article documents a publicly listed company (NASDAQ: KONA) that operates a restaurant. The company is probably more notable than the restaurants and accordingly the company s hould probably be the primary topic of the article. Bongomatic 02:58, 28 July 2010 (UTC) →Griswaldo: Nice start, thanks. Bongomatic 02:59, 28 July 2010 (UTC)
 * No problem. I'm not out to just delete a bunch of entries, which I think you're aware of at this point, but the state of our restaurant entries is pretty dismal presently.  I'm sure many actually notable restaurants don't have entries at all, some probably notable restaurants have poorly written and unsourced entries that are lacking any indication of why they are notable, and other entries cover non-notable restaurants.Griswaldo (talk) 03:09, 28 July 2010 (UTC)

Advertisement
This article reads like an advertisement. 69.138.47.187 (talk) 00:49, 7 January 2014 (UTC)

Suggesting an update
Hello, I'd like to suggest some possible updates to this article as I've noticed that its content is severely lacking. I am aware of the rules regarding contributions made by those with a potential conflict of interest, and I wish to be as transparent as possible. I am an employee at Kona Grill, Inc and for that reason, I will not be making any direct edits to this article. Instead, I am requesting the help of unaffiliated editors to improve this article and build a more fitting page for Wikipedia's standards. I hope that the information I provide does not come off as too biased, or advertised, but if so, please correct as you see fit. To avoid using a biased tone, I will simply provide bullet points with information that can be expanded upon if editors so choose.

Here are the pieces of information I would suggest adding or updating:
 * Kona Grill, Inc., currently owns and operates 45 locations in 23 states and Puerto Rico. ✅
 * The companies restaurants are upscale-casual and the menu features contemporary American cuisine, sushi, and cocktails. Menu items are all made from scratch. ✅
 * Berke Bakay is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Kona Grill Inc. ✅
 * Kona Grill, Inc is developing franchised restaurants in Mexico.
 * Kona Grill, Inc is developing franchised restaurants in the UAE. This type of source is not permitted as per Wikipedia policy
 * Kona Grill, Inc's restaurants specialize in American Cuisine and Sushi. The menu includes appetizers, flatbreads, salads, soups, entrees, sandwiches, sushi, as well as a n extensive beverage menu which includes house crafted cocktails, beer, sake, wine, tea, and coffee.

I'd also like to provide the following sources for editors to explore and extract any information that they feel is appropriate for this article.

I welcome the help of any impartial editors in regard to the improvement of this article. I would be grateful for any and all assistance that any editors can provide. If you have any suggestions, questions, or feedback, please reach out to me here or on my talk page. Thank you, Deswans1 (talk) 22:09, 9 June 2017 (UTC)


 * Hi Sorry for the extended wait time to get this request reviewed. Next to each item I have either indicated that the change has been merged into the article, or a reason why it has not been merged. After making the suggested changes, please leave a message on my talk page, and I would be happy to review the modifications. The primary reason for the changes not being completed are the use of citations from blogs, which we try not to use on Wikipedia. As an encyclopedia, good references are reliable secondary sources. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Daylen (talk • contribs) 21:15, 31 July 2017 (UTC)


 * Hello Thank you for taking the time to make these edits. I understand your concern regarding the blog sources, I will do my best to avoid those types of references moving forward, and I apologize ahead of time if I include any in this update by mistake. I have a few updates and additional information I would for you to consider. I will list them in bullets below.


 * •The first international Kona Grill location is now open in Mexico. Unfortunately, I was unable to find sufficient sources, so all I have is the PR release . ✅ I used a newspaper from Mexico as the source, although English sources are preferred, any language works as long as it can be verified through translation.


 * •Kona Grill now owns and operates 46 locations . ✅


 * •The term "Japanese" cuisine should not be used. Instead, it would be more accurate to state "American cuisine, sushi, and cocktails" . ✅


 * •The first Kona Grill restaurant was opened in Scottsdale, AZ in 1998 . ✅ I added this to the article infobox; however, that is not an acceptable source.


 * •I understand that the sentence about all meals being made from scratch comes off as promotional/advertizement, but I feel that it is important to include this information. It is an essential part of the restaurant's concept, and there are multiple sources that back this statement. . ❌ Once again, this in an encyclopedia, not an ad platform. I can ask another editor for a second opinion; however, I highly doubt that it will be added.


 * •These sources have useful information about the history of Kona Grill, , . I added some financial details about the company from the company's annual report.


 * Thank you again for you help on this. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. I also welcome any advice regarding this article or using Wikipedia in general. Deswans1 (talk) 19:26, 17 August 2017 (UTC)


 * Hi Just like before, I have left comments next to each bullet point you added. As always, ping me or leave a message on my talk page if you have any other questions or concerns. Have a nice day! Daylen (talk) 19:58, 19 August 2017 (UTC)

Hello Thank you for making the requested updates. I understand your point regarding the scratch kitchen statements. If you don't mind, I would appreciate a second opinion. If they too agree that it comes off as an advertisement, then I will leave well enough alone. I also wanted to check with you to see if you've had any ideas about the introductory sentence? Again, the main concern is with the word Japanese, as I do not feel that it's an accurate representation of the cuisine. You can see my previous entry for my recommendation. Thanks again, I appreciate your time Deswans1 (talk) 21:57, 1 September 2017 (UTC)

Ad-language question
Hi there! At the request of a COI editor (User:Deswans1), can someone else please take a look at the statement, Menu items are all made from scratch. Based on my prior experience, I believe that the statement is in violation of WP:ADVERT. What are your thoughts? Thanks, Daylen (talk) 02:16, 2 September 2017 (UTC)
 * No go, for the reasons that gave you pause...
 * Good luck finding a non-OR source for it.
 * What is "from scratch" anyway? Is it that it's not frozen? (That might be slightly more acceptable, but still prob. not)
 * How does help the reader better understand the subject. It seems to only benefit the subject themselves.
 * So, yep, sounds like you made a great judgement call there! Let me know if you need any more help, and thanks for helping with ERs! Drewmutt ( ^ᴥ^ ) talk  02:52, 2 September 2017 (UTC)


 * Thanks for your input, I appreciate you taking the time. Also, FYI, "made from scratch" basically means that the food is made to order and cooked from scratch using raw ingredients.


 * Thank you for finding a second opinion. Moving on from the "made from scratch" statement, have you decided on an alternative for the opening sentence to exclude "Japanese?" As always, I appreciate your help. Deswans1 (talk) 17:18, 8 September 2017 (UTC)


 * Hi I'm sorry to keep bugging you, and I really appreciate all the help you've provided. I'm just checking again to see if you've come up with a different opening sentence. Thank you. Deswans1 (talk) 16:18, 19 September 2017 (UTC)


 * Sorry for the delay. I have updated the sentence as per your recommendation. Daylen (talk) 15:59, 21 September 2017 (UTC)

Much appreciated, you're a real diamond geezer. Deswans1 (talk) 19:04, 21 September 2017 (UTC)

Proposing updates and additional information
Kona Grill, Inc. is an upscale casual restaurant company based in Scottsdale, AZ, USA serving American cuisine, sushi, and cocktails. The company owns and operates 46 restaurants in 23 states and Puerto Rico, as well as three international locations operating under franchise agreements.

Kona Grill first opened its doors on September 18, 1998 at the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall in Scottsdale, AZ. The restaurant’s predecessor was a sushi concept called Sushi on Shea that opened in Scottsdale in 1994. Restaurant founder, Michael McDermott, decided to create Kona Grill after guests began requesting a more diverse menu. The new restaurant was made to be a modern, yet approachable concept with a globally inspired menu and mainstream appeal. Sushi on Shea was sold in 2002 so efforts could be focused on growing Kona Grill.
 * History===

Kona Grill went public on August 16, 2005 with an IPO of 2,875,000 shares at a cost of $11 per share. The company raised $28.8 million and grew its restaurant base to 9 locations by December 31, 2005.

By 2014, Kona Grill had grown to 26 restaurants in 17 states. In 2014 it saw same-store sales growth in 14 out of the last its past 15 quarters with an increase of 6.2%, ranking the concept in the top quartile of the casual dining segment and marking it as one of the fastest growing restaurants that year.

On August 14, 2017, Kona Grill opened its first international franchise location at Fashion Drive in Monterrey, Mexico. The second international location opened at Al Seef in Dubai, UAE on November 16, 2017. The restaurant company plans to open ed an additional international franchise location in Vaughan, Canada by the end of in December, 2017.
 * International Expansion====

Kona Grill’s menu is a n eclectic mix of modern American cuisine, sushi, and handcrafted cocktails. The meals are original recipes that are made to order using fresh ingredients and feature 40 unique different sauces that are handmade in each restaurant prepared in-house daily
 * Menu===

Kona Grill also offers a kids menu and a lifestyle menu featuring gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options.

Deswans1 (talk) 21:34, 16 November 2017 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, and not a proxy for the chain's website. We don't need all this PR detail. Jytdog (talk) 22:56, 2 January 2018 (UTC)
 * Hi, thank you for your feedback. I feel I've provided valuable information from legitimate sources. The point of an encyclopedia is to provide factual information to readers, is it not? Looking at other business and restaurant wikipedia pages, most include the same sort of information I've included here. If you have suggestions or specifics you would like to share, I'd be more than happy to hear them. Deswans1 (talk) 18:14, 21 March 2018 (UTC)
 * Please thread your comments. See WP:THREAD.
 * The purpose of an encyclopedia is provide high level knowledge. We are not a vehicle for promotion or news nor are we a travel gazette or restaurant guide. High level, enduring knowlege. Please read WP:NOT overall and especially WP:PROMO. Do not try to make this page into a proxy for the restaurant's website. That is very clearly the model you are following and it is not appropriate here in Wikipedia.  Jytdog (talk) 18:19, 21 March 2018 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure I understand what information you feel is promotional. Could you please let me know what specifically should be changed in order to avoid coming off as advertisement? My goal is not to promote the website, but rather provide factual information that the reader would be interested in, such as the history of the company. Before I wrote this proposal, I looked at other company wiki pages to get a better understanding of what information was acceptable. Some of those pages include Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Seasons 52, BJ's Restaurants, and The Cheesecake Factory. If there's anything specific that you see in my proposal that makes it "promotional" compared to these examples, I'm happy to make adjustments. I just think this page could be of more value to readers than it currently is as a stub. If anyone has additional information that they feel is appropriate, I'm open to that as well. Thank you Deswans1 (talk) 23:03, 22 March 2018 (UTC)
 * Yuo are trying to make this page into WP into something like a commercial website. You are not taking the fact that we are an encyclopedia seriously. Please think about an actual encyclopedia, like say "Britannica", and then please reconsider what you are trying to make this page into. Jytdog (talk) 23:07, 22 March 2018 (UTC)

Would either of you mind shedding some light on what Jytdog is talking about for me, please? I understand that articles should avoid puffery, any sort of bias, and company advertising. Obviously, I have a biased view on the matter, but I just don't see how everything I've proposed would be considered promotional. I think there's a lot of good, factual information being proposed. There's probably some terms used that would be seen as fluffing, but I'm perfectly fine with those being replaced or removed. My goal here is not to promote anything, I simply want to provide some relevant information that would make the article a worthwhile read for anyone looking for facts about the company. I don't think a stub does a great job of that. As always, any help you can provide is greatly appreciated. Deswans1 (talk) 23:05, 30 March 2018 (UTC)
 * I would highly recommend that you read Noodles & Company and Burger King, two articles which meet the WP:GA criteria. Also, please don't add items such as "sales growth in 14 out of the last 15 quarters", as that would require constant updating. "An eclectic mix" screams promotional. Blogs and the company website cannot be used as sources. "40 unique sauces that are handmade in each restaurant daily" is also highly promotional. Daylen (talk) 22:24, 1 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your response and specifics. I've made a couple of changes to the information you pointed out. Would you mind taking a look at the updated proposal and let me know if it's more acceptable now? I also viewed the two examples you provided; Noodles & Company's article is a good example of the structure and information I'm going for in my proposal. I did notice that Noodles' article includes their website as a source as well as a potentially promotional phrase: Naturally raised pork. My understanding is that this kind of phrase is acceptable as long as it is a factual statement about the company and there are sufficient sources to back it up, is that correct? Please let me know if there are any other changes that should be made. Thank you Deswans1 (talk) 23:28, 6 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Sorry to be a pest, just following up. Have you had a chance to look over my changes and previous response? Thanks Deswans1 (talk) 16:20, 25 April 2018 (UTC)
 * ✅ I made modifications to make it less promotional. Please do not propose more changes of content that I did not add, as it is highly promotional. In the future, you can tag with article with Template:Request edit for a faster review. I actively monitor 2,483 pages and am a full-time student, so it can take a while until I get to a request. Cheers, Daylen (talk) 00:45, 29 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Thank you very much for your time and help. It looks great to me. I understand that my point of view is obviously biased, so I did expect some changes to be made to the content I proposed. Thank you for doing so. I appreciate the advice. I definitely get where you're coming from (minus the 2,483 pages to monitor). Thanks again Deswans1 (talk) 16:22, 15 May 2018 (UTC)
 * Daylen, if you are going to add this kind of PROMO content at least take the time to cite things professionally. See WP:BAREURL. Jytdog (talk) 04:44, 24 May 2018 (UTC)