Wally Amos, Creator of Famous Amos Cookies, Dies at 88

Wally Amos, the man who started the well-known cookie brand Famous Amos, has passed away at the age of 88. According to The New York Times, he died on Tuesday, August 13, at his home in Honolulu, Hawaii. His children mentioned that he died from complications related to dementia.

Wally Amos was a trailblazer in the world of baking and business. In 1975, he opened his first cookie store in Los Angeles with a $25,000 loan from some friends in Hollywood.

His store quickly grew popular, and by 1981, Famous Amos was a big business, making $12 million a year. That’s about $42 million in today’s money. He used his aunt’s chocolate chip cookie recipe and made sure the cookies stayed high quality, even as his business expanded.

“You can’t compare a machine-made cookie with a handmade cookie,” Mr. Amos told MSNBC in 2007. “It’s like comparing a Rolls-Royce with a Volkswagen.”

Despite his early success, Wally faced challenges and eventually sold his share of Famous Amos in 1988 for $3 million to a private equity group, losing ownership of the company he founded.

Details of His Passing

The specifics about where Wally will be buried or if his body will be taken back to the mainland U.S. are still not decided. There are also no details yet about any service to honor his life. Meanwhile, the Famous Amos brand’s social media accounts have not yet commented on his passing.

Mr. Amos, a former talent agent, treated his cookies like another client — the door to the shop’s kitchen had a star on it, just like an actor’s trailer — and he understood the importance of building a personal brand decades before it became practically a requirement.

Wally Amos’ journey from a small shop to a global brand shows the power of a good idea and hard work. His legacy continues with every Famous Amos cookie enjoyed by people around the world.