King's Hawaiian facts for kids
 |
|
| Privately held company | |
| Industry | Bakery |
| Predecessor | Robert's Bakery |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Founder | Robert R. Taira |
| Headquarters | Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
King's Hawaiian is a famous bakery known for its sweet Hawaiian bread. It's a family-owned company based in Los Angeles, California. The company was started by Robert Taira in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1950.
Contents
The Story of King's Hawaiian
Robert Taira started his bakery, called Robert's Bakery, in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1950. At first, he mostly baked cakes. His big success came when he learned how to make Portuguese sweet bread stay fresh longer. This meant he could sell his special "Hawaiian bread" to many supermarkets.
In 1963, the company moved to Honolulu and changed its name to King's Bakery. Then, in 1977, the company grew even more. It opened a new bakery in Torrance, California, on the mainland United States. This new bakery was called King's Hawaiian Bakery.
By the 1980s, King's Hawaiian Bakery was making a lot of money each year. In 1988, the company moved its main office to the mainland. The bakery in Honolulu closed in 1992. In 2002, a new restaurant and bakery called The Local Place Bakery & Cafe opened in Torrance.
Robert Taira passed away in May 2003. His family continued to run the company. In October 2003, King's Hawaiian moved its main bakery to a very large building in Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles. This new bakery was expected to be big enough for many years. However, by 2007, their bread became so popular across the United States that they needed even more space. Shipping bread all over the country was also becoming a challenge.
Growing Bigger and Smarter
In 2010, King's Hawaiian announced plans to open another large bakery. This new bakery and distribution center would be in Oakwood, Georgia. It was ready by the fall of 2011. When building this new bakery, the company made it very modern. Machines do almost all the work, from mixing ingredients to putting the baked bread into plastic bags. As of 2015, one of the few jobs still done by hand was putting the soft, fresh bread into cardboard boxes for shipping.
Some fast food restaurants, like Arby's, sometimes sell sandwiches made with King's Hawaiian buns. These include sandwiches like the King's Hawaiian BLT and Roast Beef and Swiss. They also have a King's Hawaiian Fish sandwich at certain times of the year. In September 2014, a barbecue brisket sandwich was also introduced on their special buns.
In 2016, King's Hawaiian started selling new BBQ sauces. They came in four tasty flavors: Big Island Lava, Smoked Bacon, Original Sweet Pineapple, and Kona Coffee.
By February 2018, the Georgia bakery had grown a lot. It went from 100 employees to more than 650 employees. It also had three production lines. By July 2019, about 75% of all King's Hawaiian products were made at the Georgia bakery.
In December 2023, King's Hawaiian shared exciting news. They plan to expand into the Midwest for the first time. The company is spending almost $200 million to build a huge new facility in Taylorsville, Indiana.
Fun Marketing and Partnerships
King's Hawaiian has used many fun ways to advertise their products over the years.
In 1980, King's Hawaiian sponsored a race car team. They supported Ron Colson and Roland Leong in a National Hot Rod Association race car. They even won a big race that season in California!
In 2014, King's Hawaiian worked with former baseball player Shane Victorino. He helped advertise their products using the catchy slogan "Go Pupule."
In 2016, King's Hawaiian had a giant, three-story-tall 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 and a stage for music performers!
In 2018, King's Hawaiian released an animated Halloween movie. It was called "The Legend of Hallowaiian" and featured the voices of famous actors like Mark Hamill and Vanessa Williams.
In 2021, King's Hawaiian announced a year-long partnership with chef and TV star Guy Fieri.
In 2022, King's Hawaiian teamed up with the NASCAR racing team RFK Racing. They sponsored driver Brad Keselowski in several races, including ones at Kansas Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway. They even sponsored him at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for a chance to win $1,000,000! They also sponsored him at the 2023 Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum.
See also
