COVINGTON, Ky. — Five small Covington businesses upgraded their spaces thanks in part to a grant from the city.

KeAloha’s Kitchen started as a food truck, then became a take-out only spot, and has now expanded into a full-service restaurant. Co-owner Valentino Abafo said even as he served the country in the U.S. Air Force. he’s always had a passion for cooking.

He said, “Whenever there was parties to, you know... they would always ask me to cook.”

Abafo said he’s bringing a bit of Hawaii to Covington, sharing all his favorites including, Spam musubi, Loco Moco, a Hawaiian staple made of a hamburger patty covered with gravy, and baked ginger salmon.

Abafo says none of this would be possible without his late brother’s dream and the City of Covington.

He said, “We never got to venture upon that quest that we had opening a restaurant. So I went. We had our food truck. It was only right that we named the food truck after my brother. So, KeAloha’s Kitchen.” Amy Abafo added, ”This grant enabled us to be here. It enabled us to actually open a sit-down restaurant. Like if you would have said to us five years ago, this is going to happen, I’d say, ‘No, we can’t afford it. We’re a food truck’ and we both had full-time jobs.”

The Covington Board of Commissioners approved five rent-subsidy and five façade improvement incentives that allow local businesses to grow. Each business was given $6,000 dollars. Val Abafo said if their story teaches anything, it’s to never give up.

He said, “I believed in my product from day one. I said to my wife…our food would speak for itself.”

The couple and their four children work in the restaurant each day to keep their dream a reality. 

The deadline to apply for the fourth and final round of the small business incentives is March 22, 2024.