King’s Hawaiian Bakery Turns 60

King’s Hawaiian Bakery Celebrates

60 Sweet Years Of Aloha

TORRANCE, Calif. – King’s Hawaiian Bakery, the family-owned company best known for its line of Original Recipe Hawaiian Sweet Bread, is celebrating its 60^th year of baking irresistible bread for U.S. consumers.  Founded in Hawaii in 1950, the company is a uniquely American success story with an ongoing commitment to its Hawaiian roots and the “spirit of aloha.”

Robert Taira, founded King’s Hawaiian in 1950 after graduating from baking school at the top of his class and borrowing $382 from his father to open a tiny storefront bakery in Hilo, Hawaii.   Sixty years later, the company still belongs to the dedicated Taira family who continue to run the company with a graciousness most commonly found in the Hawaiian Islands and an unwavering dedication to high-quality, delicious products.  “Ours was the very first Hawaiian Sweet Bread,” said Mark Taira, King’s Hawaiian Chief Executive Officer and son of founder, Robert Taira, “and my family has made it our mission to ensure the company and its bread and rolls remain true to the spirit of the original.”

Following the success of the Hawaiian Sweet Bread, the business expanded and moved to King Street in Honolulu where the bakery and cafe immediately became a destination for locals and tourists who shipped the bread to the mainland as gifts. In the late seventies, the Taira family was inspired to share some aloha with mainlanders and constructed a commercial bakery in Torrance, Calif.  It wasn’t long before the sweet taste of King’s Hawaiian bread was found on the dinner table of families throughout the United States.

Since moving the bakery to the mainland, King’s Hawaiian has expanded its product offerings to include three signature flavors, including Original Hawaiian Sweet, Honey Wheat and Savory Butter. The bread is available in six distinct forms that make up 12 product variations, including: Round Bread, Dinner Rolls, Snacker (Mini-Submarine) Rolls, Sandwich Rolls and Sliced Bread (available in limited distribution.)

King’s Hawaiian bread products are ideal as stand alone meal accompaniments or as recipe ingredients, and may be most renowned for gracing holiday dinner and summer picnic tables. King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread is also a key ingredient in some of the world’s best French Toast, and in honor of the 60^th anniversary, the company has released this modern version of the classic original recipe:

King’s Hawaiian Famous French Toast

Ingredients:

4 (1-inch) thick slices King’s Hawaiian Bread
4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Butter or oil for frying
Maple syrup

Preparation

1. Slice bread crosswise so that each slice is about 1-inch thick. Cut larger slices into halves or thirds, if desired. Set aside.
2. In a shallow mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.
3. Quickly dip slices (do not soak) in egg mixture and cook until golden brown on both sides.
4. Keep egg mixture stirred and spices well blended.
5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup.

Makes 4 servings.

King’s Hawaiian Bakery has developed a 60^th anniversary edition recipe booklet featuring its most popular dishes, including an early recipe for Hawaiian French Toast.  A downloadable version of the book is available on-line at www.kingshawaiian.com .

Founded 60 years ago in Hilo, Hawaii by the Taira family, King’s Hawaiian Bakery continues to be well known as a family-owned producer of “irresistible, original-recipe foods made with Aloha Spirit.” In addition to operating a dynamic 150,000 square-foot bakery facility, the company continues to expand its distribution of bread products into stores nationwide with an appreciation for quality ingredients and great taste.  King’s Hawaiian’s signature bread products are used in dishes at a number of restaurants, including the Disneyland Resort, Dave & Busters, Ruby’s Diner, among others, and the company owns and operates two Torrance, Calif.-based restaurant locations including the King’s Hawaiian Restaurant & Bakery, which opened in 1988, and a fast-casual restaurant concept, The Local Place, which launched in 2002. For more information or recipes, visit the company’s web site at www.kingshawaiian.com, become a King’s Hawaiian fan on Facebook or follow on Twitter.