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1996 - Keith Sung, President and CEO of parent company K&S Hawaiian Creations Inc., began to look at cookies as a business opportunity. Sung, who founded K&S Hawaiian Creations with his wife Janet in 1980, produced and distributed quality ceramics and other gift items to the tourist souvenir market, all made in Hawaii. He noted that Kauai, Maui and the Big Island each had signature cookies, and decided the market was right for Honolulu to have its own gourmet cookie.
1997 - After an 18-month quest, Sung had perfected his recipe, using a precise blend of premium ingredients to produce the finest shortbread cookie in the Islands. He planned and constructed the ideal custom kitchen, and searched the world to find the right baking oven. The final touch was selecting the distinctive pineapple shape to reinforce its Hawaiian heritage. The result was the Honolulu Cookie Company, developed with a winning formula - make a great cookie, make it unique, and make it right here in Hawaii. The first four flavors were selected, and simple, yet elegant and sophisticated packaging was chosen to appeal to the local market, as well as tourists looking for a distinctive Hawaiian gift.
1998 - The first cookies are introduced to the wholesale market and made available to select Hawaiian retailers, with primary distribution to the tourist market. The owners continue develop the brand, concept, packaging and equipment to ensure a premium product and the finest presentation.
2001 - Owners Keith & Janet Sung adopt a vertical integration approach, allowing them to retain full control of their product from production to proprietary retail stores, and into the customer's hands. The wholesale distribution was phased out, and the first wholly owned retail store at the Kalihi factory location was opened. Direct marketing was established with a website and catalog, and a proprietary mailing list was developed to enable the company to maintain contact with customers worldwide.
2002 - The Ward Center store is opened. Its location just outside of the main shopping corridor of Waikiki allows it to serve as both a tourist and local customer base.
2003 - The company opens its first Waikiki location in the Hilton Hawaiian Village to primarily target the tourist market. This prime location quickly becomes popular, with Japanese customers forming the majority of the customer base. The company also began mailing the catalogs to a proprietary customer list. The Aloha Card, a customer loyalty program, is introduced.
2004 - The kiosk at the Ala Moana Center opens, serving customers in the state's largest regional shopping center. Its location at the edge of Waikiki attracts a customer base that consists of both tourists and local residents.
2007 - Capitalizing on the success of previously opened retail stores, several new locations are added in a wave of expansion. The company makes its first entry into the neighbor island market with two stores on Maui, in Whalers Village at the popular resort destination of Ka'anapali, and on Front Street in historic Lahaina town. New retail boutiques open in prime locations at Beachwalk, the Outrigger's newly renovated shopping district on Lewers Street, and on Royal Hawaiian Avenue, adjacent to DFS. Expansion continues with the opening of the beautiful flagship store at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki on Kalakaua Avenue, the main thoroughfare in Waikiki.
2008 - A new store is opened at the Waikiki Beach Marriott, followed by a store in the newly remodeled Royal Hawaiian Center, the premiere shopping district of Waikiki. Increased emphasis is placed on direct marketing efforts as the catalog is mailed more aggressively, a new website is developed and an email plan is implemented. Corporate partnerships are formed with Japan Airlines (JAL), the Japan Travel Bureau (JTB), Japan Credit Bureau (JCB), and H.I.S. International Travel Service.
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