Someone is Suing King’s Hawaiian Because Their Sweet Rolls Aren’t Baked in Hawaii
This may come as a shock to you, but Moon Pies aren't baked on the moon, and that KFC you had for dinner last week wasn't fried in Kentucky.
We've been lied to!
Maybe those two snacks are next on the list of a New York man who's suing King's Hawaiian because their sweet rolls aren't actually baked in Hawaii.
Okay, perhaps the guy's got a point from a legal standpoint, but it's a really annoying and petty point if you ask me.
KHNL-TV in Hawaii reports that the man's class action lawsuit is based on the fact that the town of Hilo, Hawaii is mentioned on the front of King's Hawaiian packaging, but another, smaller label indicates that their sweet rolls are baked in Torrance, California.
According to the plaintiff, featuring Hilo so prominently is misleading because it implies that the rolls are baked there, and FOX News reports that the man never would have bought the product had he known that wasn't the case. (Mmhm. I'm sure.)
The plaintiff, identified by UPI as Robert Galinsky, says King's Hawaiian "essentially invented this category of food", and has used legal channels to go after other companies marketing their products as Hawaiian rolls. I guess he figures it's their turn to be on the receiving end?
According to the company's website, King's Hawaiian was established in Hilo in the 1950's as Robert's Bakery, named for founder Robert R. Taira. In 1963, the bakery moved to King Street in Honolulu, and the name was changed to King's Bakery.
After mainlanders got a taste of the bread and demand started to grow, the Taira family moved operations to California in 1977. They also operate a bakery in Georgia, which they opened in 2010.
Let's take a look at the packaging, shall we?
Even a casual observer would notice that it reads "EST - 1950 HILO, HAWAII". The key element here is "EST" - you know, established.
I don't see anything that indicates that the bread in the package was actually baked in Hawaii.
You could argue the label would cause people to assume the bread came from an oven in Hilo, but that's the thing: it's an assumption, and you know what they say about assumptions.
So yeah, the plaintiff may have a case, and for some reason that really annoys the hell out of me. Maybe a legal eagle out there can tell me why I should calm down and see the guy's point, but to me, it seems like this guy's about to win a big, fat, multi-million dollar check over something that really does not matter.
I betcha he uses some of that money to throw a barbecue with King's Hawaiian rolls on the table.
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