Famous Amos facts for kids
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| Product type | Cookie |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ferrero SpA |
| Country | Italy |
| Introduced | 1975 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Kellogg Company |
Famous Amos is a well-known brand of cookies. It was started in Los Angeles in 1975. The founder was Wally Amos, who used to work as a talent agent. Today, the brand is owned by Ferrero SpA, a company from Italy.
Contents
The Story of Famous Amos
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Wallace "Wally" Amos was born in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1936. When he was 12, he moved to New York City. There, he often baked cookies with his aunt. These baking sessions helped him learn to make delicious treats.
As an adult, Wally Amos joined the United States Air Force. After that, he became a talent agent. He worked for the William Morris Agency. He would bake his special chocolate chip cookies. Then, he would send them to famous people. This was his way to get them to meet him. He hoped they would sign deals with his agency.
Wally Amos decided to try something new. On March 10, 1975, he opened his own cookie store. He got $25,000 from singers Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy. His store was in Hollywood, Los Angeles. He named it "Famous Amos".
The store was a huge success right away. In its first year, it sold $300,000 worth of cookies. The next year, sales jumped to over $1,000,000. By 1982, the company was making $12 million. The cookies became so popular. Soon, "Famous Amos" cookies were sold in supermarkets. Other special stores, like Starbucks, later copied this idea.
However, sales started to slow down by 1984. Wally Amos began selling parts of his business. In 1985, he sold a big share to Bass Brothers Enterprises. This was an effort to save the company. But the company still faced challenges. Over the years, Famous Amos had several different owners.
In 1998, Keebler bought the brand. Then, in 2001, the Kellogg Company bought Keebler. This meant Kellogg owned Famous Amos for a while. There is even a sign in Los Angeles. It marks where the first Famous Amos store was located.
Wally Amos later created another cookie brand. He called it "Chip and Cookie". This brand has a slightly different recipe. On July 29, 2019, Kellogg sold Keebler cookies. This included Famous Amos. The new owner is Ferrero SpA. Ferrero also makes Nutella.
Cookie Packages Over Time
The look of Famous Amos cookie packages has changed four times. Each change reflected the times.
Original Packages (1970s)
The very first packages were round metal tin boxes. They were white. They had a picture of a large chocolate chip cookie. It looked like it was spinning on Wally Amos's finger. Wally Amos himself was on these packages. He wore his famous straw hat and cotton shirt.
Packages in the 1980s
In the 1980s, the packages became small plastic bags. They looked like the larger bags used in supermarkets. The brand name was written in small letters. Again, Wally Amos was pictured. He seemed to be spinning a cookie on his finger. This was like the basketball trick by the Harlem Globetrotters.
Packages in the 1990s
The 1990s packages were much bigger. The name "Famous Amos" was shown very clearly. Wally Amos no longer appeared on the front. Instead, there were pictures of many small cookies. A blue ribbon on the package said "chocolate chip".
Modern Packages (2000s)
The packages from the 2000s are similar to the 1990s ones. But there are some small changes. For example, the ribbon color changed from blue to almond. Also, a short story about Wally Amos is often on the back of these newer packages. However, some larger packs, like those found at Sam's Club or Costco, do not have this story.
Sometimes, international stores that sell Famous Amos cookies design their own bags. These might even have cool 3D ribbons!
