The King's Hawaiian bread lawsuit was a 2021 class action lawsuit that alleged that King's Hawaiian misled consumers by labeling their products as "Hawaiian" while also manufacturing the bread products in California.
Plaintiff's also argued that the "Hilo, Hawaii" reference and branding also made them believe that the King's Hawaiian rolls were made in Hawaii, although a federal judge also dismissed the claims.
King's Hawaiian is owned by the Taira family and led by CEO Mark Taira, who had inherited the King's Hawaiian Business from his father and founder of King's Hawaiian, Robert Taira.
The Taira family owned company, which is based in Torrance, California, has also grown from a local 1950s bakery into a $2 billion empire.
Robert Taira opened the first bakery, called Robert's Bakery, in Hilo, Hawaii, in the 1950s.
Mark Taira took over the business in the 1980s and expanded the business significantly.
The Taira Family behind King's Hawaiian has also reported a $2 billion fortune.
The company King's Hawaiian also remains 100 percent family owned, and has resisted outside investors and acquisitions.
The King's Hawaiian business also now operates under the holding company of Irresistible Food Group and they have also expanded into other food products and restaurants.
Hawaii native Robert Taira started baking batches of these doughy breads in Hilo in the 1950s, before moving the operation to Honolulu, then California, where he rolled out distribution nationwide.
King's Hawaiian was introduced to the mainland in 1977 when they opened their first factory in Torrance, CA and began bread production.
Soon after, they expanded their bakery line and began distributing to grocery stores throughout the United States.
In 1988, King's Hawaiian full-service Bakery & Restaurant opened in Torrance.