Hostess/Wonder Bread retail stores will remain open for several days in order to sell already-baked products, the company said. The liquidation also will mean the closure of 565 distribution centers, about 5,500 delivery routes and 570 bakery outlet stores throughout the U.S. There are no Wonder Hostess Bakery Outlets in Butler or Warren County, according to the company’s website, with the closest store being on Glendale Milford Road in Cincinnati.
The shelves were already partially bare at a Hostess display at the Liberty Twp. Kroger’s by 5:30 p.m. Friday. The brand’s most popular snacks — Twinkies, Ho Hos and Ding Dongs — were sold out, with only lesser products, like fruit pies and donuts, remaining.
Customers reacted more with nostalgia than sadness over the apparent ending of the brand.
“I don’t know if I’ve had a Twinkie in 20 years,” said Linda Ronda of Liberty Twp. “When I was a kid, sure who didn’t love a Twinkie? But now, I try to eat healthy and I try to make sure my children are eating healthy. It’s certainly not something I give to them as a snack.”
William Fotz of West Chester Twp. laughed as he recalled claims that Twinkies could survive a nuclear bomb.
“It was something to eat but I don’t know if I ever thought they were that good,” said Fotz, 45, who, like Ronda, said he didn’t believe he’d eaten a Hostess product in a long time. “They were something you’d take on a camping trip because they came pre-wrapped and you couldn’t ruin them. But my day wasn’t incomplete if I didn’t have one.”
Marie Osborne of Liberty Twp. came to the store to see if there were any left. She bought a few fruit pies but was ultimately disappointed.
“It seemed like something I should save,” Osborne said. “My son will be disappointed. He really liked Twinkies.”
Hostess CEO Greg Rayburn said in an interview that there was no buyer waiting in the wings to rescue the company, according to the Associated Press. But without giving details, he said that there has been interest in some of its 30 brands, which also include Dolly Madison and Nature’s Pride snacks. Experts agreed that it was likely the biggest brands would survive.
Hostess, based in Irving, Texas, filed for Chapter 11 protection in January, its second trip through bankruptcy court in less than three years. Unlike many of its competitors, Hostess had been saddled with high pension, wage and medical costs related to its unionized workforce, according to the AP. The company also faced intensifying competition from larger companies such as Mondelez International, which makes Oreos, Chips Ahoy and Nabisco.
The move to liquidate comes after a long battle with its unions. Thousands of members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union went on strike last week after rejecting a contract offer that slashed wages and benefits. The bakers union represents about 30 percent of the company’s workforce. A representative for the bakers union did not immediately return a call from the AP seeking comment Friday.
Although many workers decided to cross picket lines this week, Hostess said it wasn’t enough to keep operations at normal levels; three plants were closed earlier this week. Rayburn said Hostess was already operating on thin margins and that the strike was a final blow.
About the Author
