He called his brand Famous Amos and his store was the nation’s first gourmet chocolate chip cookie store.
Born in July 1, 1936, Wallace (Wally) Amos Junior will ever been associated with chocolate chip cookies and baking.
Amos attended Food Trades Vocational High School but dropped out to join the US Air Force. He was discharged in 1957 after earning his GED (general educational development) equivalency diploma.
Amos had dreamed of becoming a chef ever since he first tasted Aunt Della’s chocolate chip cookies. For years, he had baked and shared chocolate chip cookies with friends who had about them, even encouraged him to sell them.
In 1975, armed with a business plan, he found his first success with $25,000, a cookies recipe and company called Famous Amos Cookies.
It reached sales of $300,000 the first year and $12 million by 1982.
By end of 1988,m the Shanby Group bought the company for $3 million. Amos was left an employment agreement for $175,000 plus expenses a year.
Wally Amos of Famous Amos
