The Japanese Panko Manufacturer Evolved

Mr. Kawaguchi's vision for providing quality products to restaurants still lives on today as his son, Gary Kawaguchi, now takes the lead. Gary has remained at the forefront of the business even through its acquisition in the mid 90s. In 2006, the breaded seafood operation left California, and Gary purchased Upper Crust Enterprises to continue the family dream of providing top quality Panko bread crumbs and batters to restaurant customers.

The manufacturing plant still stands where it was originally built. The plant has undergone numerous advancements and improvements over the years, but still makes the Japanese Panko bread crumbs in the old world traditions of Japan. We value each and every one of our team members as many of them have been with us for 30 years. Their familiarity with our authentic Panko process helps us provide the consistent quality products our customers demand.

The majority of our Panko sales are to Japanese restaurants across the world so we are very focused on providing the most authentic Japanese Bread Crumbs in foodservice today. Because of the unique characteristics of our Panko bread crumbs, we are seeing interest in our authentic Panko across all restaurant types, from American style to Italian, Mexican and Seafood restaurants.

Where Panko Bread Crumbs Are Today

With over 40 major types of cuisines around the world, you would be surprised at the number of cultures that use Japanese bread crumbs. We have extended our reach throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, Guam, Belize, Barbados, Turkey, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Panama, Ecuador, Italy, Australia and Saipan while still providing the utmost quality in Panko bread crumbs to restaurants, food manufacturers, chefs and food technicians around the world. We have grown tremendously and are thankful for our continued success as a Japanese Bread Crumb supplier and hope to do business with you in the near future! For ideas on how to use Panko bread crumbs in your menu visit Recipe Suggestions.