Leonard's Bakery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leonard's Bakery |
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| Restaurant information | |
| Slogan | Home of Malasadas and Pão Doce |
| Established | 1952 |
| Current owner(s) | Leonard Rego Jr. |
| Food type | Bakery |
| Street address | 933 Kapahulu Avenue |
| City | Honolulu |
| State | Hawaii |
| Postal/ZIP code | 96816 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 21°17′06″N 157°48′48″W / 21.2849°N 157.8133°W |
| Other locations | Yokohama, Japan |
Leonard's Bakery is a very famous Portuguese bakery located in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is especially well-known for making the malasada popular. A malasada is a delicious fried pastry. It's a bit like a doughnut, but it doesn't have a hole. Malasadas are usually a little crispier on the outside and chewier inside.
Portuguese immigrants first brought malasadas to Hawaii many years ago. Leonard's Bakery opened in 1952 and helped introduce this tasty treat to many more people. Today, Leonard's is a household name in Hawaii. It is also famous in the continental United States and around the world. A special franchise location even opened in Japan in 2008.
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The Story of Leonard's Bakery
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Margaret and Frank Leonard Rego Sr. started Leonard's Bakery in 1952. Frank's mother encouraged him to sell malasadas. These are a type of Portuguese doughnut without a hole. They have a "crispier" outside and a "chewier" inside.
Portuguese plantation workers brought this dessert to the Hawaiian Islands. They immigrated there around the start of the 20th century. Leonard's is known as an "old-fashioned" bakery. It helped make many Portuguese cuisine pastries and desserts popular. These include Portuguese sweet bread and pão doce meat wraps. Sometimes, they even add Hawaiian flavors like haupia (coconut) or guava to their malasadas.
As of 2011, the bakery is still a family business. Leonard Rego Jr. now owns it. His own children help run the bakery, just as he did when he was younger.
Why Leonard's is So Popular
Leonard's Bakery is a very important place in its neighborhood. In Hawaii, almost everyone knows the name Leonard's. People from other Hawaiian islands often bring Leonard's malasadas home as a special souvenir gift.
These fried, doughnut-like treats are unique to Hawaii. However, they are well-known across the continental United States and internationally. The bakery in Honolulu is even a popular stop on some island tours. In 2012, a newspaper reported that the bakery sold over 15,000 malasadas every day! Since it opened, it has sold more than 160 million malasadas.
Leonard's Goes International
Leonard Rego Jr. opened a franchise location in Japan. It is located in the Yokohama World Quarter Shopping Center. This new store opened in December 2008. At first, it only sold cinnamon and sugar malasadas. Later, they added malasadas with different fillings.
Japanese investors first asked Rego Jr. about bringing the brand to Japan in March 2008. Rego Jr. felt it was a great time for the expansion. The deal was finished three months before the opening. He even flew to Japan to train the staff for over a week. Rego Jr. hopes to open more franchise locations in Japan. He also plans to open more stores on other islands in Hawaii. In 2009, the company had 60 employees. They worked at three stores (two in Oahu and one in Yokohama) and two food trucks in Oahu.
See also
