Robert Taira facts for kids

Robert Taira (born November 5, 1923, in Hilo, Hawaii – died May 29, 2003, in Torrance, California) was the amazing person who started the famous King's Hawaiian bakery. He created the sweet bread that many people love today!

Early Life and Big Dreams

Robert Taira grew up in Hilo, Hawaii. He was one of eleven children born to parents who came from Okinawa, a part of Japan. After World War II, Robert served in the United States Army as a translator. He helped during the time when the U.S. Army was in Japan.

While in Japan, Robert thought about how Japanese culture was changing. He believed that people would start to like more Western things and products. This gave him an idea: he wanted to open businesses in Japan. He thought about selling clothes or jewelry, but he finally decided to open a Western-style bakery.

Learning to Bake

After leaving the Army, Robert went to baking schools. He studied in Hilo and then in Chicago. His plan was to go back to Japan, but the Korean War started in 1950. Japan closed its borders to regular people, so Robert couldn't go. Instead, he opened his first bakery, called Robert's Bakery, in his hometown of Hilo in 1950.

The Sweet Bread Secret

At first, Robert's Bakery made fancy cakes. But Robert also spent his free time trying out other baked goods. Like many kids in Hawaii, he loved Portuguese sweet bread. However, this bread was often called "stone bread" because it got hard very quickly. You had to buy it fresh and eat it right away.

A Breakthrough Recipe

Robert's big moment came when he found a way to change the sweet bread recipe. He made it so the bread would stay soft and fresh for longer. It still had its delicious, cake-like taste and texture. This was a huge step! He turned a bread that went bad quickly into a product that could last. This meant it could be made in large amounts, sent to supermarkets, and enjoyed by people whenever they wanted.

King's Hawaiian Bakery

In 1963, Robert moved his bakery to King Street in Honolulu. He renamed it King's Hawaiian, after the street. His sweet bread, now called Hawaiian bread, became super popular in Hawaii. Soon, people all along the West Coast of the United States loved it too!

After many years of success, Robert decided to move his business to the mainland United States. In 1977, he built a big bakery in Torrance, California. It became one of the largest bakeries in the South Bay area. By the 1980s, his bakery was making a lot of money each year.

More Than Just Bread

Even though he was running a huge bakery, Robert Taira still loved baking with his hands. In 1988, he opened the King's Hawaiian Bakery and Restaurant in Torrance. This place still sells many different kinds of baked goods, not just the famous Hawaiian bread.

Today, Robert's family owns and runs both the large industrial bakery and the smaller bakery and restaurant. His son, Mark Taira, took over running the company in 1983.