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Famous Amos

Famous Amos is a brand of chocolate chip cookie from the United States.

History

Wally Amos, an Air Force veteran who worked as a talent agent with the William Morris Agency, would send home-cooked chocolate chip cookies to celebrities to entice them to meet with him and maybe sign a deal to be represented by the William Morris company.

In 1975, Amos took the advice of some friends and opened a cookie restaurant in Los Angeles, California, the restaurant being named "Famous Amos".

The restaurant proved so popular that eventually, the "Famous Amos" brand would branch out, starting the production of cookies to be sold at supermarkets almost immediately, in a move that would later be emulated by other specialty restaurants, such as Baskin Robbins, T.G.I. Fridays, Starbucks, etc.

Packages

The Famous Amos cookie brand has gone through four package designs.

The original package consisted of a round, tin metal box, similar to the blue packages of an European brand of cookies, except that Famous Amos' package was white, and with a photo of what seemed to be a large chocolate chip cookie circling on Wally Amos' finger.

The 1980s packages consisted of small plastic bags that resembled the larger bags of the same material used by supermarkets during that period. They had the brand's name inscribed in small letters, and once again, with a photo of Amos apparently manoeuvring with a large chocolate chip, circling it with his finger, in a way that was similar to the trick that the Harlem Globetrotters have made famous with basketballs.

The 1990s packages were much larger that those of the 1980s, with the name "Famous Amos" prominently displayed on the cover. These packages marked the end of Wally Amos' cover appearances, and featured a number of small cookies pictured instead, with a blue ribbon reading "chocolate chips".

The 2000s Famous Amos package are very similar to the ones used during the 1990s, except for a couple of differences, such as the ribbon's color (almond has substituted blue). Part of Wally Amos' biography is featured on the back of the newest packages.

Last updated: 10-29-2005 02:13:46