Wallace “Wally” Amos, the creator of the Famous Amos cookie empire and a children’s literacy advocate, passed away at the age of 88 in Honolulu. He ultimately lost control of his cookie company, including the rights to use his own name, and went on to establish Chip & Cookie in Hawaii with his wife Carol. Known for his boundless optimism and distinctive style with a Panama hat and kazoo, Wally Amos inspired a generation of entrepreneurs with the opening of his first cookie store on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1975.
His children, Sarah, Michael, Gregory, and Shawn Amos, fondly remembered how their father balanced running a business from Hawaii while taking early morning calls from the mainland. Despite his success in starting the world’s first cookie store, Wally Amos struggled as a businessperson and eventually walked away from the company. Losing both the business and his name was a personal blow that deeply affected him, leading him to pursue new professional endeavors in an attempt to reclaim that space.
Later, Wallace Amos co-founded Uncle Wally’s Muffin Co., which featured products in stores across the country. However, fame was never a driving force for Amos, as he believed that being famous was overrated. He emphasized the quality and craftsmanship of his cookies, stating that machine-made cookies couldn’t compare to handmade ones. After encountering financial difficulties with Uncle Noname Cookie Co., Wally Amos transitioned to muffins, at the suggestion of his business partner Lou Avignone.
Wally Amos was active in promoting literacy and education, with his shop in Hawaii featuring a reading room stocked with books. He spent Saturdays reading to children, wearing a watermelon hat and sitting in a rocking chair. Despite dropping out of high school, Amos went on to write eight books and serve as a spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers of America for 24 years. His dedication to inspiring others to read was recognized by President George H.W. Bush when he received the Literacy Award in 1991.
In his book, “Man With No Name: Turn Lemons Into Lemonade,” Wallace Amos recounted how he lost control of Famous Amos despite its success, ultimately selling the company. He continued to be involved in the baking industry, launching the Hawaii-based Chip & Cookie in 1991 after a two-year break from baking. Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Amos moved to New York City and learned how to make chocolate chip cookies from his aunt. He eventually became a talent agent and used a loan to kickstart his cookie business, becoming the first Black agent in the industry.
The legacy of Wallace “Wally” Amos lives on through his children, who have come to appreciate the significance of the chocolate chip cookie in their family after becoming parents themselves. Despite the challenges he faced in his career, Amos’ passion for baking, entrepreneurship, and advocacy for literacy left a lasting impact on those who knew him. His story serves as a testament to resilience, innovation, and the enduring power of a simple chocolate chip cookie to bring joy and inspiration to generations.
