King’s Hawaiian sued for not actually making its sweet rolls in Hawaii

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Contrary to popular belief, King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls are not actually made in Hawaii. And now, a New York resident is suing the makers, claiming that he was misled into buying the rolls.

In the class action lawsuit, Robert Galinsky, the plaintiff, said the back label notes that the popular bread product is manufactured in Torrance, Calif. But Galinsky said the front packaging prominently features “Hilo, Hawaii,” leading people to believe that the bread is actually from there.

Galinsky said in the lawsuit that King’s Hawaiian “is the leading seller of Hawaiian Rolls and essentially invented this category of food.”

He lists other lawsuits that King’s Hawaiian Holding Company filed against competitors to prevent the marketing of “Hawaiian Rolls.”

According to its website, King’s Hawaiian’s history dates back to the 1950s, when Robert Taira first opened the business in Hilo Robert’s Bakery. It later expanded to Honolulu, where it was renamed King’s Bakery. Eventually, the business moved to Torrance, Calif. as King’s Hawaiian Bakery continues to wholesale its famous sweet bread nationwide.

This is not the first time a company is facing a lawsuit over Hawaii representations. Kona Brewing and Hawaiian Host have also been sued for similar reasons.

Hawaii News Now has reached out to King’s Hawaiian for comment but has not heard back.