King’s Hawaiian celebrates 75 years with limited-time return of original packaging

King’s Hawaiian, the family-owned bakery brand known for its signature sweet bread, is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a return to its Hawai‘i roots through limited-edition releases and community collaborations.

As part of the celebration, the company will debut a 75th anniversary Heritage Round Bread Box, designed in homage to the brand’s original packaging once used at the King Street Bakery in Honolulu. The commemorative bread box debuted on Friday at Foodland Farms Pearl City and will be released on,Dec. 12 at KTA Super Stores Puainako in Hilo, while supplies last.

The company’s roots trace back to 1950, when founder Robert Taira opened Robert’s Bakery on Kinoʻole Street in Hilo. There, he perfected his recipe for soft, fluffy and sweet Portuguese-inspired bread that quickly became a local favorite. In 1963, he relocated to Oʻahu and opened King’s Bakery on King Street in Honolulu.

The bakery’s name was a nod to its location, but the bread’s growing popularity gave it a new identity. Locals and tourists began calling it “Hawaiian bread” as they shared it with friends and family or mailed it to the continental US.

The idea to pack and ship the bread was sparked by Robert’s wife, Tsuneko Taira, who personally hand packed and did all the mailings from the bakery. Demand became so high that King’s Bakery became the top customer of the US Postal Service in Hawai‘i.

“While our original bakery has grown, our values and recipes have remained the same,” the company said in a statement this week. “We spark good times, inspire joy in every bite and are happiest when laughter and stories fill the air.”

For more information, visit kingshawaiian.com or follow @KingsHawaiian on social media.