King's Hawaiian facts for kids
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King's Hawaiian headquarters in Los Angeles
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| Privately held company | |
| Industry | Bakery |
| Predecessor | Robert's Bakery |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Founder | Robert R. Taira |
| Headquarters | Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles, California, U.S. (Torrance, California postal address) |
King's Hawaiian is a family-owned bakery. It is based in Los Angeles, USA. The company is well-known for its sweet Hawaiian bread. Robert Taira started the business in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1950.
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How King's Hawaiian Started
Robert Taira began his company, first called Robert's Bakery, in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1950. Mr. Taira first focused on baking cakes. He found a way to make Portuguese sweet bread stay fresh for a longer time. This was a big step for his business. He could then sell this "Hawaiian bread" in many supermarkets.
Moving and Growing the Business
In 1963, the company moved to Honolulu. It also changed its name to King's Bakery. By 1977, the company grew and opened a new bakery. This new bakery, King's Hawaiian Bakery, was in Torrance, California. This was their first step onto the mainland United States.
By the 1980s, King's Hawaiian Bakery was earning a lot of money. In 1988, the company moved its main office to the mainland. The original bakery in Honolulu closed in 1992. In 2002, a new restaurant and bakery opened in Torrance. It was called The Local Place Bakery & Cafe.
New Leadership and Expansion
Robert Taira passed away in May 2003. His family took over the company. In October 2003, King's Hawaiian moved its bakery to a much larger building. This new bakery was in the Harbor Gateway area of Los Angeles. Even though it was big, the bread became so popular that they needed more space by 2007. Shipping bread across the country was also becoming expensive.
In 2010, King's Hawaiian announced plans for another new bakery. This one would be in Oakwood, Georgia. It opened by the fall of 2011. This new bakery used many machines and computers. Most of the baking process, from mixing to bagging, is done by machines there. As of 2015, the only part that still needed people was putting the soft bread into boxes.
Partnerships and New Products
King's Hawaiian has partnered with the fast food chain Arby's. Arby's sometimes sells sandwiches using King's Hawaiian buns. These include a BLT and a Roast Beef and Swiss sandwich. They also offered a King's Hawaiian Fish sandwich. In September 2014, a barbecue brisket sandwich was added to the menu.
In 2016, King's Hawaiian launched new BBQ Sauces. There were four flavors: Big Island Lava, Smoked Bacon, Original Sweet Pineapple, and Kona Coffee.
By February 2018, the Georgia bakery had grown a lot. It had more than 650 employees and three production lines. By July 2019, about 75% of all King's Hawaiian products came from this Georgia bakery.
In December 2023, King's Hawaiian shared plans for a new facility. They planned to build a large bakery in Taylorsville, Indiana. This shows their continued growth across the United States.
King's Hawaiian Marketing
King's Hawaiian uses different ways to tell people about their products.
Sports and Entertainment
In 1980, King's Hawaiian supported Ron Colson and Roland Leong in a car race. They won the NHRA Winston Finals that season.
In 2014, King's Hawaiian worked with former baseball player Shane Victorino. He helped advertise their products with the slogan "Go Pupule."
In 2022, King’s Hawaiian started sponsoring a NASCAR Cup Series team. They sponsored driver Brad Keselowski for several races. Starting in 2025, they partnered with Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing.
Parades and Movies
In 2016, King's Hawaiian had a big float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The float showed the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. It even had a volcano that shot out confetti!
In 2018, King's Hawaiian released an animated movie. It was called "The Legend of Hallowaiian" and was about Halloween. Famous actors like Mark Hamill and Vanessa Williams lent their voices to the film.
In 2021, King's Hawaiian announced a partnership with chef Guy Fieri. He is a well-known television personality.
See also
- List of brand name breads
- List of Hawaiian restaurants
