Walk into any Golden Krust in the Bronx or South Florida, and the smell hits you immediately—that spicy, buttery, turmeric-yellow scent of a fresh Jamaican beef patty. It’s a staple. But behind the 100-plus storefronts and those yellow boxes in your local Walmart freezer is a family story that’s as much about gritty survival as it is about massive commercial success.
Most people looking for the owner of Golden Krust expect to find a single name on a corporate masthead. Honestly, it’s more complicated than that. While the company is a massive franchise machine, it remains a fiercely guarded family dynasty.
Who actually owns Golden Krust today?
The parent company, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill, is owned by the Hawthorne family. It’s been that way since day one back in 1989. For decades, the face of the brand was Lowell Hawthorne, the visionary who moved from Jamaica to New York and turned a single bakery on Gun Hill Road into a multimillion-dollar empire.
Lowell’s death in 2017 was a shock to the Caribbean community and the business world alike. Since then, the family has stepped up to keep the "Golden" in the name. As of late 2025 and heading into 2026, the leadership has transitioned to the next generation. Jackie Hawthorne Robinson recently assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer in August 2025. She’s leading a massive push to grow the brand by 50% over the next few years.
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It’s not just one person calling the shots, though. The Hawthorne siblings—there were eleven of them originally—and their children have various stakes and roles. You’ve got people like Steven Clarke, the VP of Marketing, who is a nephew of the founder, and Daren Hawthorne, who has handled franchising and legal. It’s a literal "all hands on deck" family affair.
The "Susu" Secret: How they started without banks
You want to talk about "owner of Golden Krust" history? You have to talk about how they got the money. Banks weren't exactly lining up to give loans to Jamaican immigrants in the late 80s for a "patty shop."
Basically, the family used a traditional Caribbean savings system called susu.
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- Everyone in the family pitched in a set amount of money every week.
- One person takes the whole "pot" to start their venture.
- The cycle continues until everyone is funded.
They pooled about $107,000 this way. That money bought the first ovens and the first storefront. It’s a wild contrast to the corporate private equity world most big chains live in now. They didn't have a venture capital firm; they had their brothers and sisters.
Is every Golden Krust owned by the family?
Nope. While the Hawthornes own the parent company and the brand rights, the individual restaurants are mostly franchised.
Out of the 100+ locations across states like New York, Florida, Georgia, and Texas, only a couple are actually "corporate-owned." The rest are owned by independent entrepreneurs—many of them Caribbean immigrants themselves—who pay a franchise fee (around $40,000) and royalties to use the name and sell the proprietary patties.
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So, when you ask about the owner of Golden Krust in your neighborhood, you’re usually talking about a local business owner who invested anywhere from $212,000 to $775,000 to open that specific spot.
Why the brand is shifting right now
The brand is currently in a "scale or die" phase. If you've been to a Walmart lately, you've probably seen the "Island Select" line. This is the family’s big play to move beyond just being a restaurant chain. They’ve recently launched things like Strawberry & Cream Cheese patties to appeal to a broader American demographic.
They’re also eyeing 50 new locations by 2030, specifically targeting Virginia and Washington. Jackie Hawthorne Robinson has been very vocal about the "sky being the limit" for the brand's next chapter. They want the Jamaican patty to be as common as a slice of pizza or a bagel.
Actionable insights for fans and entrepreneurs
If you’re following the story of the owner of Golden Krust because you want to get into the business or just understand the legacy, keep these points in mind:
- Family governance works: Despite the tragic loss of their founder, the Hawthorne family’s ability to transition leadership internally is a masterclass in succession planning for minority-owned businesses.
- Retail is the future: The money isn't just in the restaurants anymore. By partnering with 20,000+ retail outlets (Walmart, Publix, Target), the owners have de-risked the business from the volatility of the restaurant industry.
- Community roots matter: Even in 2026, the company still prioritizes aid missions to Jamaica, like their recent relief work after Hurricane Melissa. This "brand soul" is why customers stay loyal even when cheaper options exist.
The Hawthorne family has managed to do what very few immigrant-founded businesses do: survive the transition to the second and third generations while remaining the dominant player in their niche.