Thanks to a handful of musical retirees, we've found the world's happiest fast food joint.
Every Friday morning, a group of retired individuals from all over the Hawaiian island of Oahu come together at a local Burger King to start the day with a kanikapila -- the Hawaiian equivalent of a jam session.
People join the tropical ensemble with their ukuleles, drums and homemade instruments for "happy-go-lucky, good fun," as 67-year-old Manny Halican, a local musician and occasional member of the group, puts it.
"Anybody who wants to show up, shows up," Halican, who is also the president of the Ukulele Guild of Hawaii, told The Huffington Post. "There's no special club. People just come and contribute."
He started playing with the group last year, but says musicians have been meeting at the Burger King location in Waianae every week for more than three years. The musicians that stop by to play along tend to be "elderly and retired," he said. "It's a fun way to burn time if you've got a lot of it."
People start showing up around 7:30 a.m. and shortly thereafter, an impromptu luau ensues. Singers, like Auntie Momi, the jubilant woman singing in the light blue blouse below, belt it out while the band jams to sweet Hawaiian melodies.
The staff and customers almost have as much fun as the musicians, Halican says. Almost.
"I've always looked for groups that I could play with," he said, "but this is the most fun one I've found."
Just try watching Auntie Momi sing without cracking a smile:
They sound pretty good too:
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