Frank Torres, a successful real estate broker, bought the pre-existing restaurant in 1987 and transformed it into Kenkoy's Diner, a filipino eatery with a 50's diner theme. With the blessings of Tony Velasquez, who is the filipino creator of the Kenkoy's comic strip character, the Torres Family was granted the exclusive rights to use the character's name and likeness for their restaurant business.
First published in 1929, Kenkoy is the filipino term used to embody a person who is fun-loving, debonair, and among other things, comical. Kenkoy's Diner flourished in the 80's and 90's with the Torres Family, as lunchtime crowds literally lined up outside the doors, especially for the Friday whole lechon pig special. Since then the restaurant was sold to a relative until the late 90's. In 2003, the Torres Family re-opened Kenkoy's in Pacifica's Fairmont Plaza. With an emphasis on a variety of filipino home cooked dishes, Tonette Torres perfected the restaurant's specialties including the tapa, kare-kare, pancit, lumpia, sinigang, silog plates, various desserts, and of course adobo. In 2006, the Torres Family opened another Kenkoy's location in Hayward's Gateway Plaza. As Kenkoy's Fairmont Plaza is cozy, quaint, and charming, Kenkoy's in Hayward is grand, romantic, and has a spacious outdoor patio... the perfect place to host your next event or celebration. For tasty homestyle cooked filipino food, dine at Kenkoy's restaurants...the Torres Family happily awaits your patronage. Kenkoy's Hayward - (510)782-8884
