TD Food Group’s roots in Hawaii run deep. The company’s beginnings date back to the late 1800’s. Theo H. Davies and Co., Ltd was one of the original “Big Five” companies in Hawaii which played a vital role in the commercial history of Hawaii and the Pacific. In late 1973, Hong Kong based Jardine, Matheson & Co. acquired Theo H. Davies. This modern, growth oriented corporate owner brought exciting changes to the company.
In 1984, Theo H. Davies acquired the Hawaii and Guam Pizza Hut operations which included 21 restaurants. The following year, Theo H. Davies acquired Hawaii’s Taco Bell operations which included 8 restaurants. This rapid expansion into the fast food business prompted Theo H. Davies’ formation of a restaurant division known as Theo Davies Food Service Group. Under the leadership of local management, the company grew to 87 restaurants over a 20 year period.
In 2004, Brentwood and Associates, a Los Angeles based private equity investment firm, acquired Theo H. Davies. A new company, TD Food Group, Inc., was formed and under this new ownership, the Guam Taco Bell operations were acquired. TD Food Group’s ownership changed again in 2012 when Nimes Capital, another Los Angeles based private investment firm, acquired the company.
Most recently, in 2017, Restaurant Brands New Zealand Limited completed its acquisition of the company. Restaurant Brands is a corporate franchisee that specializes in managing multi-site branded food retail chains. Restaurant Brands has KFC restaurants in New Zealand and Australia, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Carl’s Jr. in New Zealand as well as the Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants in Hawaii and the Pacific. Restaurant Brands New Zealand was originally formed in 1997 to acquire the New Zealand restaurant and takeaway operations of KFC and Pizza Hut.
TD Food Group, Inc. continues to operate as a strong, well established kama’aina company managing the Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants in Hawaii and Guam as well as the Pizza Hut on Saipan. TD Food Group, Inc. has a long history of supporting communities where we operate including millions of dollars raised to support literacy organizations throughout the state of Hawaii.
The first Pizza Hut restaurant opened in Wichita, Kansas in 1958. Soon, the restaurant expanded opening new locations because people loved the pizza, service felt like home and customers were treated like family.
By 1971, Pizza Hut had become the top pizza restaurant chain in the world. It was also in 1971 that Pizza Hut opened its first restaurant in Hawaii. Many successful national initiatives have been launched over the years:
- 1980: Original Pan Pizza is introduced
- 1984: BOOK IT! reading incentive program is launched
- 1988: Hand-Tossed Traditional Pizza is introduced
- 1995: Pizza Hut launched Stuffed Crust Pizza
- 2003: WingStreet is launched
- 2007: Pizzas Hut becomes the first national pizza chain on Facebook
- 2018: Pizza Hut becomes the official sponsor of the NFL
With more than 60 years of experience, Pizza Hut is proud to serve that same great food and service that started at the original Pizza Hut back in 1958. Pizza Hut has a long history of supporting communities and the popular Book It! Reading incentive program that was launched in 1984 is still going strong with millions of children participating each year.
From its humble beginnings in 1962, with the opening of the first restaurant in Downey, California, Taco Bell has grown to become the world’s favorite fast-food Mexican restaurant brand. Taco Bell opened its first Hawaii restaurant in 1976 and the brand has grown exponentially since.
Taco Bell's value and menu innovation have been keys to the success of this iconic brand. Tacos, Burritos, Chalupas, Crunchwrap Supreme and Doritos Locos Tacos have all become instant favorites of die-hard Taco Bell fans. In 2018, Taco Bell launched Nacho Fries, the most successful product launch to date in the company’s history.
Taco Bell is proud to support the communities where we operate. The Taco Bell Foundation was founded in 1992 and today is focused on youth empowerment by helping young people explore their career passion with scholarships, experience and community support. By 2021, the Taco Bell Foundation will award more than $110 million in Live Mas Scholarships to support future leaders. For more information go to www.tacobellfoundation.org.
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