Robert Taira (November 5, 1923 in Hilo, Hawaii – May 29, 2003 in Torrance, California)[1] was the founder of King's Hawaiian bakery.
His big break came when he succeeded in tweaking the recipe to extend the bread's short shelf life, while maintaining its cake-like flavor and texture.
He transformed it into a shelf-stable product that could be mass-produced, distributed to and conveniently sold in regular supermarkets, and eaten by consumers at their leisure.
After many years of success he moved his business to the mainland United States, building a bakery in Torrance, California in 1977.
Although he was now leading a large-scale industrial bakery, Taira remained a pastry chef at heart.