Hands, Fire, and Time: The Story Behind The Coconut Tree Company
- TCTC
- Oct 4
- 3 min read
The Man in the Kitchen
Ask us where our love of cooking started and the answer is simple: Grandpa Tomas Santos Tanaka. Our earliest memories of him are always at the stove or the oven—calm, focused, and smiling. He dressed like a professional even at home: a crisp white shirt tucked neatly into polyester slacks with a matching belt. When we crowded the kitchen, he never waved us away. Instead, he’d pull up a chair so the smallest grandchild could see the pan, smell the toasting, and learn that food is a way to care.
In those moments, he taught us more than recipes. He taught us pace. To stir slowly. To watch closely. To wait for “just right.” Hands, fire, and time—those are the ingredients that still guide us.
Roots That Cross Oceans
Tomas was born October 18, 1915, the fourth child of Cecilio Tanaka, a Japanese immigrant from Shikoku, and Rosa Santos Tanaka of Barigåda. When his father passed away, six-year-old Tomas helped the family the only way he knew—by selling bread after early morning mass, urged on by a mother who believed in work, faith, and perseverance.
He became a stately man who spoke three languages and could fix almost anything with his hands. He married Maria Josephina Camacho of Tamuneng and they raised Thomas, Vivian, and Frederick—a family stitched together by food, faith, and service.
Courage, Community, and a Life of Service
Tomas lived through war and helped shape the island’s future. He was part of Guam’s first political Territorial Party and a WWII survivor. Our family holds close the story of how he aided George Tweed, sheltering him and nursing him through pneumonia before Tweed made his way north. That quiet courage—help when it’s needed, do what’s right—became part of our family’s recipe.
Tommy’s Bakery: A Legacy of Flavor
After the war, Tomas opened Tommy’s Bakery, first in Hagåtña and later in Tamuneng—a location that would eventually house Guam’s first Winchell’s and later Buttercup Bakery. The bakery was more than a business; it was a classroom. Our family still passes around his recipes for Japanese rice, German stuffed potatoes, lemon chicken, dried beef, empanada, fritåda, bistek Chamoru, and sushi. Each dish reads like a postcard from a life fully lived.
Tomas passed on September 16, 1990, at 74, but his imprint remained: be generous, feed people, and let the kitchen be a place where love is learned.
From Grandpa to Gary
Today, Gary Tanaka carries that torch in our small-batch kitchen. The Coconut Tree Company was born from the same spirit that pulled a chair up to the stove for a wide-eyed child. We still work the slow way—watching for color, listening for the right sizzle, and trusting the feel of the spoon.
Why coconut candy? Because it captures everything we stand for—simple ingredients, patient craft, and a flavor that’s both island and home. Toasted coconut turns golden and nutty; a touch of sweetness rounds it out; each piece is wrapped by hand. No two are identical, and that’s the point: a real person made this for you.
A Tradition You Can Taste
When you open a tin or a grab bag, you’re tasting more than candy. You’re tasting lessons passed down over generations—lessons about patience, generosity, and joy. You’re tasting a family’s way of saying, “Come closer. Watch. Try. Share.”
Our goal isn’t to scale past recognition; it’s to preserve a feeling. The feeling of a grandparent who never shooed you away. The feeling of being invited to help, even when your feet didn’t touch the floor. The feeling that food can carry memory across time.
If you’ve ever believed that a recipe can hold a legacy, you’ll understand our candy.
The Coconut Tree Company
(671) 472-3775