The young women from the girls home staffed and operated the restaurant. They were provided with the opportunity to learn the skills of cooking, cleaning, food service and hospitality which were considered to provide a valuable head start into the work world and self-reliance after they had aged out of the program.
There are many young women who grew up at the orphanage and found the time at Waioli to have made a significant impact in their lives and helped pave the way for viable employment in the Hawaiian Islands.
The Tea Room operated with this mission until the early 1970’s when the orphanage closed as the state developed the foster care programs that are in place today. For the next 40 years, the building had many operators but never recaptured the sense of purpose that was its foundation for the first 50 years.