LAWTON – Aloha, Lawton! Take a step into Tropic Lightning, 1108 SW Park Ave., and you’ll find yourself in more than just a Hawaiian restaurant. You’ll find yourself right in the middle of a big-hearted group of family and friends wanting to spread the comfort and cheer of the island spirit.
The story does begin from two different island cities located in the Pacific Ocean. O’ahu, Hawaii is the original home of twin brothers Nick and Nate Kamono, founders of Tropic Lightning. Noreen Vally, partner and operations manager, is from the Federated States of Micronesia, specifically the island of Pohnpei. Food and fate would eventually bring the group together. First, however, came military service. The brothers both served with the 29th Infantry Division in Oahu, nicknamed “Tropic Lightning” and the origin of the restaurant name. Both completed multiple tours of duty.
Noreen grew up in a family-owned hotel/ restaurant business and the food industry has always been a way of life for her. From Pohnpei, she went to college in Hawaii and eventually moved, as part of a military family, to the state of Washington. A change in duty station brought her to the Lawton-Fort Sill area 10 years ago. She went to work for Panda Express, part of the Panda Restaurant Group, and eventually began to train as a manager.
Nick’s love of food and cooking also led him to management training with Panda Express. After the military, he began helping restaurants get on their feet and had helped a friend in Louisiana turn a Hawaiian food truck into a restaurant. When family needed help in Texas, Nick moved and eventually answered an advertisement for a new Panda Express restaurant in the city of Anna, looking for general managers. Noreen and Nick ended up in management training together in Dallas and forged a friendship. “Island people know island people,” he said.
Ironically, although growing up in Hawaii, Nick’s first cooking experience was with French food.
“I loved cooking, even as a kid,” he said. “For Christmas one year, my mom gave me an old Julia Child’s French cookbook. It didn’t matter. I loved cooking.”
The Lawton restaurant, Tropic Lightning, became an extension of the islanders’ friendship. Nick had the experience of helping others with their restaurants but had never opened one for himself. “It made sense to me,” he said. “But I just needed convincing. I knew it had potential.”
Noreen’s experience gave her a sense of confidence. “Nick, we can do this,” she told her friend. In May of 2023, a suitable location was found and work began bringing the former restaurant building up to code. In September, a soft opening was held and later this month a grand opening event will be held.
“The restaurant business is not an easy business,” Nick said. “But I’ve done this before and knew what to expect. I knew the hurdles and frustrations, but also knew how to handle it. We’ve started small, intentionally, and given ourselves plenty of room to grow.”
Tropic Lightning’s home cooked comfort food has opened with favorable social media reviews. Customer comments range from “This food was great … very flavorful, good quality” to “excellent service … soft music while dining” to “tasty, well made, and filling.” Several already favorite dishes were listed in the reviews, including the macaroni salad, the pork katsu, garlic chicken, steamed veggies and teriyaki chicken. Oh, and by the way, the teriyaki sauce is homemade. Plus, be sure and sample some of the classic desserts.
“Our musubi is very popular,” Noreen said. “It’s convenient and it’s the perfect on-the-go food. You can grab it and go. One customer came in and ordered 60 of them for a military event.”
“Yes, we want to be successful, of course,” Nick said. “But that’s not necessarily all about money. We wanted to introduce something different here. We want to offer good, comforting food along with friendly service in a comforting environment. We want to spread the Aloha spirit. Otherwise, we’re just another restaurant.”