Famous Amos facts for kids
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| Product type | Cookie |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ferrero SpA |
| Introduced | 1975 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Kellogg Company |
Famous Amos is a popular brand of cookies. It was started in Los Angeles, California, in 1975 by a man named Wally Amos.
Contents
The Story of Famous Amos Cookies
Wally Amos's Early Life
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Wally Amos, the person who started Famous Amos, was born in Florida in 1936. When he was 12, he moved to New York City to live with his aunt. They often baked cookies together, which helped him learn to love baking. As an adult, Wally Amos served in the United States Air Force. Later, he worked as a talent agent, helping famous people with their careers. He would bake his delicious chocolate chip cookies and send them to celebrities. This was a clever way to get them to meet with him!
Opening the First Cookie Store
On March 10, 1975, Wally Amos decided to follow his passion for cookies. With $25,000 from singers Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, he opened his very first cookie store. It was located on Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California. He named his new business "Famous Amos."
Early Success and Growth
The cookie store was an instant hit! In its first year, Famous Amos sold $300,000 worth of cookies. The next year, sales jumped to over $1,000,000. By 1982, the company's total sales reached an amazing $12 million. The store became so popular that Famous Amos cookies started to be sold in supermarkets. This idea of a special store selling its products in grocery stores was later copied by other well-known brands.
Challenges and New Owners
However, by 1984, sales began to slow down. Wally Amos started selling parts of his business to keep it going. In 1985, he sold a big share of the company to Bass Brothers Enterprises. That year, the company lost money, and sales dropped to $10 million. Many investors tried to help, but the company continued to face difficulties.
In 1988, a company called the Shansby Group bought Famous Amos for $3 million. Wally Amos stayed on for a year as a spokesperson, but he eventually left. Since then, the Famous Amos brand has had several different owners. Between 1988 and 2001, it changed hands more than five times.
In 1992, the President Baking Company bought the brand. Then, in 1998, Keebler bought the President Baking Company. Keebler owned Famous Amos until the Kellogg Company bought Keebler in 2001.
In July 2019, the Kellogg Company sold Keebler cookies, including Famous Amos, to Ferrero SpA. Ferrero is a large Italian company known for products like Nutella. The Keebler brand is now made by Ferrero's US company, Ferrara. Wally Amos passed away on August 13, 2024, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Today, there is a special sign in Los Angeles that remembers where the first Famous Amos store was located. Wally Amos also created another cookie brand called "Chip and Cookie." This brand had a slightly different recipe than the Famous Amos cookies sold by Kellogg's.
Famous Amos Cookie Packages
Original Tin Box Design
The Famous Amos cookie brand has changed its package designs four times over the years. The very first package was a round, metal tin box. It was white and had a picture of a large chocolate chip cookie spinning on Wally Amos's finger. Wally Amos himself was also pictured on these tins, wearing his signature straw hat and cotton shirt.
1980s Plastic Bags
In the 1980s, the packages changed to small plastic bags. These bags looked like the larger grocery bags used in supermarkets back then. The brand's name was written in small letters. Again, there was a photo of Wally Amos appearing to spin a large chocolate chip cookie on his finger. This was similar to the famous basketball-spinning trick done by the Harlem Globetrotters.
1990s and 2000s Designs
The packages in the 1990s were much larger than the ones from the 1980s. The name "Famous Amos" was shown very clearly on the front. These packages no longer featured Wally Amos. Instead, they showed several small cookies and a blue ribbon that said "chocolate chip."
The Famous Amos packages from the 2000s are quite similar to the 1990s design. One difference is that the ribbon's color changed from blue to almond. Also, a short story about Wally Amos's life is printed on the back of the newest packages. However, this biography is not on "Not for Resale" packages or large boxes sold at places like Sam's Club and Costco. Some international stores that sell Famous Amos cookies even design their own unique cookie bags.
