With its retro neon sign, pink-and-white-striped awning, blue script logo, and the usual line outside, Leonard’s Bakery has become a can’t miss destination for foodies on Oʻahu.
The bakery, a family business that’s been famously featured in guidebooks, food blogs, Instagram roundups and more, is dedicated to keeping a local tradition alive.
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
Since opening in 1952, Leonard’s Bakery has become synonymous with the iconic malasada. The fried pastry was introduced to the Islands by Portuguese immigrants, and Leonard’s Bakery has played a major role in its popularity.
READ MORE: So, What’s the Big Deal with Malasadas?
For locals on Oʻahu, the bakery is where tradition is preserved. For generations of folks—whether they observe Lent or not—malasadas are a popular indulgence on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. In Hawaiʻi, it’s common to hear Mardi Gras referred to as Malasada Day.
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
Lenny Rego III says running the bakery is a “labor of love” for him and his family. Rego’s grandparents opened Leonard’s just a few blocks from its current spot on Kapahulu Avenue. The business quickly became so popular, he says, that his grandparents had to relocate to a larger place to meet demand.
Rego can trace his ancestry to Portuguese immigrants who settled on Maui. In 1946, his grandparents—Leonard and Margaret Rego—moved from the Valley Isle to Oʻahu. His grandfather found work in a bakery before opening his own place.
“My grandparents were known for being hard workers,” Rego says. “They came from humble beginnings.”
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
At Leonard’s one year, Rego says his grandfather made malasadas, a special treat for Fat Tuesday. “He didn’t plan on keeping it on the menu, but it was so popular that he kept them. Gradually, it shifted to the core of our business.”
Rego’s been coming to the bakery since he was an infant and says he’s seen photos of his mom carrying him in a baby sling on her back as she worked pastry dough. Once he was a teenager, he started coming to the bakery with his hānai brother early in the morning to glaze pastries, his first foray into working in the family business.
But he didn’t expect to see himself running the place. Rego, who studied electrical engineering in college, says, “I didn’t think this was my original life path, but I found my calling.”
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
Embracing his role, Rego has been managing the business for the past five years. “I’m honored to do it, and this is something I’m passionate about: keeping a tradition alive for locals and visitors to enjoy,” he says. “We’re maintaining a family legacy.”
Of course, Fat Tuesday is the busiest, most demanding day of every year at Leonard’s Bakery. While the exact number of malasadas made that day is a business secret, he says it’s in the thousands.
In addition to the original location on Kapahulu, Leonard’s operates four food trucks across Oʻahu. A new Malasada Mobile opened in February 2026 near the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. You can pick up fresh malasadas right off the plane or take a box as omiyage.
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
According to Rego, the bakery’s original malasada recipe has evolved since the 1950s, but only slightly. “No major changes—just practical refinement,” he says. Along with the original sugar-dusted malasada, which remains the most popular item, customers can order malasadas coated in cinnamon sugar or li hing. And malasada puffs can be filled with custard, haupia, chocolate, macadamia nut or guava. At the Kapahulu location, there’ a rotating flavor of the month.
At Leonard’s Bakery, the original malasada is $2 and a malasada puff is $2.45. “We try our best to keep prices low, especially for our local customers,” says Rego.
Beyond malasadas, the bakery’s pao doce, or sweet bread, is also a standout. Rego recommends trying the Pao Doce Wrap, a Portuguese sausage swaddled in Portuguese sweet bread. And one more tip from Rego: Don’t skip the butter mochi.
Grace Maeda is the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.
