CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Justin Loo might be thousands of miles away from Maui but he said he still has a connection that goes beyond just distance.
"It's the aloha," Loo said.
After 20 years in Las Vegas, the Oahu native moved to Waxhaw just over a year ago to be part of the culinary scene in the Queen City as the corporate executive chef for Uptown hot spot, Fahrenheit.
"The south is similar to Hawaii, a lot of culture," Loo said.
The father of three boys said he looks forward to showing his sons how he grew up learning to surf, paddle canoes, and swim in the ocean early in the morning. His own family vacations to Maui were a regular part of his upbringing.
Although Loo doesn't have immediate family in Maui he does have friends there.
"In Hawaii, friends are family. One of my friends, I reached out to him on Instagram," Loo told WCNC Charlotte. "I haven't heard from him. I hope he's ok. I'm just waiting for him to post something. He owns a food truck in Maui."
A wildfire has razed a historic Maui town for days, so far killing 93 people. The blaze is already the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
Loo says he's thankful another close friend just turned down a job there.
"He was supposed to live in Lahaina. He turned it down for other reasons. He just texted me and said, 'Dude I was supposed to be there. If I took the job, I would be there right now,'" Loo said.
Loo also sent a shoutout to fellow Hawaiians in the Charlotte area, saying the "Maui strong" feeling is stronger than ever.
"I've been meaning to go to L & L in Concord. If nobody knows, that's a Hawaiian restaurant," Loo said. "Maybe I'll pay them a visit and be around some Hawaiians."