We are deeply honored to share that More Pleaze has been awarded a grant from the Maui County Office of Economic Development. This support allows us to expand our chef collective, strengthen local economies, and continue building a culinary community rooted in care, culture, and connection.
This is more than just funding for a business — it is an investment in Maui’s people, food systems, and future.
As chefs, we know the real value of our craft: nthe time, care, and cost that go into creating meaningful dining experiences.
Private work can feel isolating, which is why we built More Pleaze as a community where chefs are supported, connected, and celebrated.
Our goal is to give chefs the freedom to thrive independently while standing together as part of Hawai‘i’s larger culinary story.
Kyra Bramble, Co-Founder of More Pleaze, Le Cordon Bleu graduate, Mama
Why This Grant Matters
Maui’s culinary community is rich with talent, but many chefs face barriers to building sustainable independent businesses. The tourism economy is both a blessing and a challenge: while it creates demand, much of the revenue leaves the island through chain restaurants, off-island booking platforms, or large corporations.
More Pleaze exists to change that.
Our platform was designed by chefs, for chefs. It gives local culinary professionals the tools to thrive independently — from proposals and payments to client connections and marketing — while ensuring that the majority of dining dollars remain here in Hawai‘i.
This grant helps us expand that vision. It supports:
- Chef Recruitment & Training – Bringing more Maui chefs onto the platform and mentoring them in business essentials like pricing, proposals, and client care.
- Marketing & Visibility – Sharing Maui’s food culture with a wider audience, from visitors planning trips to local families seeking in-home dining.
- Farm-to-Table Partnerships – Deepening our relationships with local farmers and suppliers, ensuring chefs have access to fresh, sustainable ingredients.
- Community Building – Transforming private chef work from something isolating into a supportive, statewide network.
The Ripple Effect: Economic Impact
Private chef work may look like one meal at a time, but the ripple effects are profound.
- Chefs gain independence. Instead of relying on low-wage, high-burnout restaurant jobs, chefs can set their own rates, design their own menus, and build their own businesses.
- Dollars stay on Maui. Every booking supports a Maui-based chef, who in turn supports local farmers, artisans, and food suppliers.
- Tourism benefits everyone. Visitors enjoy a more meaningful, culturally connected dining experience — one that enriches their understanding of Hawai‘i while directly supporting its people.
- Farms and food systems grow stronger. By championing farm-to-table practices, we amplify the demand for local produce, keeping agriculture alive and thriving.
This model isn’t just about convenience. It’s about reshaping the way food and tourism intersect: prioritizing resilience, sustainability, and integrity over extractive profit.
Looking Ahead
With the support of this grant, More Pleaze will deepen our work with community partners who share our vision for resilience, wellness, and sustainability.
- Pacific Birth Collective – Together, we are exploring ways to provide nourishing, intentional food for families during the sacred stages of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This partnership allows us to bring chefs into wellness-centered support systems, where food becomes both medicine and care.
- Common Ground Collective – By connecting our chefs with local farms, we help ensure that the dollars spent on private dining directly support Maui’s agricultural community. This partnership strengthens food sovereignty while giving visitors and residents alike access to the freshest, most authentic ingredients.
These collaborations embody what More Pleaze is truly about: food as connection, food as healing, and food as a tool for strengthening local economies.
Our long-term vision remains a statewide culinary collective — one that connects chefs and clients, uplifts community organizations, and protects Hawai‘i’s cultural and agricultural heritage.
A Chef-Forward Approach
What sets More Pleaze apart is simple: we are chef-owned and operated.
Too often, booking agencies and middlemen misunderstand the true costs of private dining. They undervalue chefs’ time, skill, and artistry — or worse, exploit their labor. We believe in a different path.
Our platform is chef-forward. That means:
- Free to join, with only a small commission fee.
- Tools that save time and stress, so chefs can focus on their craft.
- A referral system that rewards collaboration when clients travel between islands.
- A statewide community where chefs are not competitors, but allies.
- A payment system set up to empower chefs with deposits, not make them have to pay for food costs out of pocket.
- Strategic booking systems that gather all necessary information from clients, eliminating back and forth.
- Mentorship opportunities from Maui’s most successful private chefs.
With Gratitude
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Maui County Office of Economic Development for believing in our vision and investing in a model that keeps dollars local, uplifts chefs, and nurtures our island’s resilience.
To our chefs, farms, clients, and community partners: mahalo nui loa. Your trust, collaboration, and aloha make this work possible.
Join More Pleaze!
- Chefs: If you’re passionate about food, people, and sustainability, we welcome you into our community. Information HERE, and sign up on our Web App HERE.
- Clients: Experience the heart of Hawai‘i through private dining. Learn more HERE, contact us directly HERE for concierge service, or post your gig live HERE.
Together, we can transform dining into something more: a celebration of culture, connection, and community.
