Hawaiian Host

The story begins in 1927 when John Dye and his wife Georgina Dias opened Ellen Dye Candies in downtown Honolulu, becoming the first manufacturer of chocolate-dipped macadamia nuts in the world. Meanwhile on Maui, a young entrepreneur named Mamoru Takitani was quietly developing his own secret chocolate-covered macadamia recipe in his parents' attic in Wailuku. On January 1, 1960, Mamoru and his wife Aiko purchased Ellen Dye Candies, moved to Honolulu, and renamed the company Hawaiian Host — with a vision to share the warmth and spirit of Hawaii with the world through one perfect confection. The brand grew into a beloved gift-giving staple across the Islands and eventually expanded into Japan, Singapore, and the U.S. mainland, becoming a duty-free shop staple for travelers leaving Hawaii. Today the company operates under the Hawaiian Host Group umbrella, which also owns Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts (acquired 2015), luxury chocolate brand KOHO (launched 2021), and macadamia farms MacFarms and Kapua Orchards (acquired 2023) — making it a vertically integrated macadamia empire from grove to gift box.