With financial backing from singers like Gaye and an innovative marketing initiative, which included an extensive advertising campaign and a gala grand opening, the first Famous Amos cookie store opened on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1975. The Famous Amos Cookie Company was born. Amos said: "We were made to think, to be curious, to seek solutions, and not add to problems." Later in 1992, he launched his new venture. Some cookies were too small. On March 10, 1975, Amos took the advice of some friends, and with $25,000 from singers Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, [4] he opened a cookie store at 7181 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, in Los Angeles, California, naming it "Famous Amos". Around 1973, Amos decided to combine his salesmanship and baking abilities. "I'm not concerned with whether people appreciate me or not. We believe when reliable local reporting is widely available, the entire community benefits. Profits increased. Amos said the Famous Amos cookies sold today by Kellogg Co. are unlike his cookies, which had lots of chocolate, real butter and pure vanilla extract. But even without Mr. Amos on board, the Shansby Group began to turn the business around, cutting costs and pushing sales through vending machines. ", IF YOU GO BACK A FRAME, TO THE moment just before Wally Amos saw the bag of Famous Amos cookies that have nothing to do with him, you get the real, unbound Wally Amos. He was promptly sued for trademark infringement and forbidden from using his own name and likeness. ." "Obituaries always list the year you were born and the year you died, separated by a dash, i.e. All you have to do is drive into them.. (Photo: Chava Sanchez/LAist; Illustration: Elina Shatkin/LAist). However, in 1985, mismanagement forced Amos to gradually sell off parts of his company. Talent-agent-turned-entrepreneur Wally Amos made Famous Amos through hard work, chutzpah and a tasty recipe. At one point, he lost his house. The company sold $300,000 in cookies that year, and by 1982, revenue reached $12 million. Public Company, 1740 Monrovia Avenue The company, based in Shirley, N.Y., expects to produce 250 million muffins this year and 1 billion muffins annually by 2010. "Famous Amos is Back in the Chips." Ebony, September 1979, pp. Web site: http://www.i, One Campbell Place He was granted a National Literacy Honors Award by President George H.W. The cookies now carried with them a line of paraphernalia for the "Famous Amos" fans who desired them: t-shirts, umbrellas, duffle bags, and "Famous Amos" jewelry. Amos started baking to console himself, since cookies always made him feel better. Telephone: (856) 342-4800 It filed for bankruptcy in 1996. Since then, Famous Amos has expanded its in-store profile, branching out to more grocery stores, gas stations and big box stores. Los Angeles wasn't the promised land Amos had hoped for. Mr. Amos was hardly in a position to play the tough negotiator. He was thus able to support his first wife and two small children. How is he? Reality was starting to catch up, wrote Michael Ryan in Parade. The cookies will once again be handmade. The father of four, he continues his work as a spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers of America, and one precent of pretax profits of Uncle Nonam cookies are donated to the support of Cities in Schools, a national dropout-prevention program of which he is a member of the board of directors. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. One of the first things I shared with Keebler when we met was that I couldn't promote the product they were currently selling, that if I were going to be a part of it we had to make some adjustments so that it could be closer to a Wally Amos product. Washington Business Journal (December 12, 1997): p. 61. As he wrote in his autobiography, he began slowly to console himself and his frustration by making chocolate-chip cookies in the style of his Aunt Della. Famous Amos was seen in the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade every year from 1977 to 1981, as well as on the label of each cookie bag. Amos didn't only befriend the glitterati. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The man who created the Famous Amos cookie empire and eventually lost ownership of the company as well as the rights to use the catchy name is now running a modest cookie shop in Hawaii. But hes hardly struggling. Several investors stepped in, but Mr. Amos said they took more of his equity stake each time and never stayed long enough to turn the company around. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/amos-wally-1937. He was living close by in Hollywood and he was starving. After years of bouncing from one owner to the next, Famous Amos would be part of a cookie empire with well developed national distribution methods. His fourth and longest marriage had collapsed, as had his business, with $108,000 in unpaid rent, but Wally was not deterred. His cookie shop, Chip & Cookie, is a couple of miles from his home in the oceanside community of Kailua. He and Andy would sign autographs. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with LAs top 5 stories in just 3 minutes. That would be himself. ". When the dust settled, he was barred from using his identity or his face to sell cookies. He has co-written several books of inspiration, including one capitalizing on his failures at Famous Amos. He started in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency and in 1962 became the first Black talent agent in their history. mitataksemme sivustojemme ja sovellustemme kyttsi. Slices of Life (1996). The move proved to be a mistake, as the new owners began to run the company into the ground. A cookie from Famous Amos became a status symbol and its flagship store became a stop on the Hollywood scene, dazzling staid establishment figures like Stanley G. Robertson of the Los Angeles Sentinel. At one point, he lost his home. He's got a fine attitude in his mind, man, he's got a kazoo in his shirt pocket, and he's got cookie batter (the real stuff) in the refrigerator at home in Kailua, Hawaii. The man who once called himself the face that launched a thousand chips told Parade magazine of his new company: Its still methe best Wally Amos I can be., Amoss self-professed love affair with the chocolate chip cookie began in his childhood. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1996, abandoned cookies and went into muffins at the suggestion of Amos business partner, Lou Avignone. "I would team up with others to build a self-contained, music-oriented entertainment company that handled recording, music publishing and personal talent management," Amos recalled in his book, The Cookie Never Crumbles. He enrolled in a trade high school specializing in cooking, and had a job as a cook after school. . U.S.A. Neither parent could read or write. The company,. But since the name was copyrighted by the original company Wally can no longer use the name " Famous Amos ". ''And they were using a real low-grade vanilla flavoring, and I always used vanilla extract. However, the date of retrieval is often important. I think its bordering on being fanatical.. After Amos discovered two young musicians named Paul Simon (1941-) and Art Garfunkel (1941-) and convinced them to sign with William Morris, he was promoted again and became their agent. After his parents divorced, his mother moved the family to Harlem, to live with her sister Della. Amos continued writing, publishing his second book in 1988 (The Power in You: Ten Secret Ingredients for Inner Strength) and a third (The Man With No Name: Turn Lemons into Lemonade) in 1994. A Spirit Magazine reporter who visited Wally in 2013 nonetheless found the 77 year old in good spirits. In this upbeat effort, Amos offered readers plenty of homespun advice and lively "Amos, Wally 1937 The shop cleared $300k its first year. After a four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, Amos returned to New York in 1957. Watermelon Magic: Seeds of Wisdom, Slices of Life. Wally Amos will always be famous, even though he cant call himself that anymore. All Rights Reserved. In 1998, Keebler purchased the brand, keeping Amos as the spokesperson. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. (847) 803-4600 Carlsen, Clifford. Anyone can read what you share. What about his grinning picture on the bag? He used to hand out cookies with abandon. "March 10, 1975," he says. ." Hughes, Allan J., Jr. "Wally Amos Still Famous but with a Lower Case "F." Providence Business News, 11 December 1995. Following his parents' separation in 1948, Amos was sent to New York City to live with his Aunt Della, who often baked homemade chocolate chip and pecan cookies. Chicago: Nightingale-Conant, 1988. Voit muokata valintojasi milloin tahansa napsauttamalla tietosuojan hallintapaneelin linkki sivustoissamme ja sovelluksissamme. Wally Amos is a salesman who uses flair, hype, and showmanship to convey his message.". Having launched a modest cookie-making venture in Hawaii, Amos was legally forbidden to use his own name, the Famous Amos tag, or his likeness, to describe any of his future endeavors. I'm happy to be back, and the people at Keebler are wonderful folks. I wanted to be excellent., Unfortunately, Amoss business acumen did not prove equal to the task of keeping up with a multi-million dollar enterprise. Born July 1, 1937, in Tallahassee, FL; married, wifes name Christine; four children. ." Then he hollers: " "Bye-bye, I'm out the door, you can look now!' U.S.A. Additionally, he has written 10 books, including an inspirational work entitled Watermelon Credo: The Book. Article Title: Wally Amos Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/wally-amos, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: May 24, 2021, Original Published Date: April 3, 2014. I just send love to 'em. The day-to-day operations of the company required more money than it could generate.. "Famous Amos" went with the company, too. [19][20][21] Amos currently resides in Columbia, South Carolina, where he is working on Aunt Della's Cookies.[21]. Wally Amos will always be famous, even though he cant call himself that anymore. . Within months, Amos had opened two more franchises on the West Coast, and New York-based department store Bloomingdale's had begun selling gourmet cookies. Grab a bag and show up and have cookies. In 1980, the hat and shirt Wally wore on the early packaging of Famous Amos cookies were placed in the Collection of Advertising History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Amos's fourth book, Watermelon Magic: Seeds of Wisdom, Slices of Life, was published the same year. He also worked as a talent agent and discovered Simon & Garfunkel. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Elon Musk. Current Biography Yearbook. But Wally Amos isn't one to fret over the loss of his name or his company. "When the store opened, it was him in the back making cookies and me standing on a milk crate in the front, selling.". He signed Simon & Garfunkel and headed the agency's rock 'n' roll department. Perhaps Dennis Kimbro and Napoleon Hill of Black Enterprise said it best when describing Amos: "Some call him a promoter, others say he is a public relations wizardbut neither title adequately describes what he does best. Amos, who turned 71 this month, is co-founder and shareholder of Uncle Wally's Muffin Co., whose products are found in 5,000 stores nationwide, including Costco and Wal-Mart. 'Famous Amos' became the vehicle to express my love in the outside world. U.S.A. Cookies were a hobby to relieve stress, says his son Shawn Amos, musician, and author of Cookies & Milk. Contemporary Black Biography. He did so on purpose, but rather than stir the fires of racial stereotypes, Amos thoughtfully examined the topic of race and bias, along with many others issues he had come into contact with throughout his life. Amos founded the cookie company in 1975 and things just didnt go as planned. During his four years in the military, he finished his high school education. His entrepreneurial spirit in tact, Mr. Amos switched to a line of low-fat and fat-free muffins. When he sold Famous Amos in 1985, Wally . Because of his intelligence and high motivation to please others, he went, in a few short months, from mailroom worker to become a personal secretary to Howard Hausman, who was a senior vice-president with the firm. Because the name Famous Amos was trademarked by his former company, Amos had to sell the Famous Amos Company because he couldn't afford to do so, and he chose The Uncle Noname's Cookie Company as his new company's name because he couldn't afford to trademark his previous Uncle Wally's Sold To Give & Go designates the block as Famous Amos Square and commemorates the first store opened by talent-agent-turned-culinary-entrepreneur Wally Amos. He reckons Chip & Cookie will shortly be as ubiquitous as the Cabbage Patch Doll was. Somebody did something to me that paralyzed me for life. If you believe that, youll never move forward.. Freelance journalist. A Famous Cookie And a Face to Match; How Wally Amos Got His Hand And His Name Back in the Game, https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/03/business/famous-cookie-face-match-wally-amos-got-his-hand-his-name-back-game.html. It was from his aunt Della Bryant, who would bake cookies for him, that Amos later developed his chocolate chip cookie recipe.[1]. When Wally Amos first developed Famous Amos cookies in 1975, the brand became one of the most unlikely success stories in food history. Former politics editor at the Cambodia Daily. Similarly, why did Wally Amos lose his company? Famous Amos was selling $5 million worth of cookies by 1980, and just two years later sales had rocketed to $12 million. Hard as it is to imagine in the '90s, there was a time in America when there was no shop devoted solely to chocolate chip cookies. When he sold Famous Amos in 1985, Wally Amos lost more than a company. Hollywood tastemakers began to take notice: Id go to meetings with record company or movie people and bring along some cookies, and pretty soon everybody was asking for them, Amos told The New York Times in 1975. Around the time Wally lost ownership in his company, his career took perhaps it's most remarkable turn. "The Cookie" got the full star treatment. Kellogg spokeswoman Kris Charles said the company has not significantly changed the original recipe when it acquired Famous Amos in 2001, as part of Keebler. What was that taste? The Sunset Boulevard set couldnt get enough of the Cookie Mans magic mix. "Famous Amos Gets its First National Push from Keebler." I realized that I could still be in the same situation 10 years from then., Amos borrowed $25,000 from Marvin Gaye, Helen Reddy and her husband Jeff Wald, and United Artists Records president Artie Mogull. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. He was sued by the owners of Famous Amos who successfully contended that Amos had relinquished the rights to use his name and likeness in marketing a food product. https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/trade-magazines/amos-wally, "Amos, Wally Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Its part of my philosophy, Amos explained in Parade. Contemporary Black Biography. How Did Famous Amos Lose His Company In the late 1980s, Famous Amos ran into trouble when sales of his cookies began to decline. New World Order - Daniel Lpez - EFO 241. I got tired of not making any money and constantly giving all my energy to someone else, he recalled in Ebony. Amos began selling shares of the business to outsiders; he also tried to launch new products such as chocolate sodas, which did not work out. Its like comparing a Rolls Royce with a Volkswagen, he said. He bursts in, looking around in exaggerated puzzlement. Wally Amos, married three times and with three sons and a daughter, lives happily in Hawaii. "Amos, Wally It was the low point of my life, Amos recalled in Ebony. ''The first couple of years after I left Famous Amos, I didn't even make cookies anymore, and I used to always make cookies at home. Yet his legacy as a barrier-breaking entrepreneur remains. Amos continued to raise money while diluting his own equity. Amos even appeared in Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1977 to 1981. Amos decided to change the brands name to Uncle Nonam. Wally Amos's most famous creation, Famous Amos cookies. "Amos, Wally [CDATA[ Amos later recalled that the person of greatest influence in his childhood was his father's mother. [10][failed verification] A Famous Amos distributor at the time, Lou Avignone, heard Amos on a local radio talk show and, inspired by Amos' story of his early business success with Famous Amos and his spirit, contacted Amos with the idea for starting a new business. However, in 1985, mismanagement forced Amos to gradually sell off parts of his company. Amos was born Wallace Amos Jr. on July 1, 1936, in Tallahassee, Florida. https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/amos-wally-1937, "Amos, Wally 1937 Amos, Wally, and Leroy Robinson. His rise serves as the most infamous cautionary tale for aspiring entrepreneurs. Financial backer Jeff Wald told Time magazine: We invested in [Famous Amos] for love, but as it turns out, it will probably be a better investment than any we ever made. Wally Amos had long ago lost control of Famous Amos, the cookie company he founded in 1975, and had even lost the right to use his name or the famous likeness of himself with his salt-and-pepper beard, Panama hat and embroidered Indian shirt. Amos and his cookie empire enjoyed a decade of success. With his vision of obtaining, maintaining, and increasing the quality of love in his world, Amos has been recognized for his passion, conscience, caring, and charity. By the time the Bass Brothers of Fort Worth, Texas, came on the scene in 1985, the company founder was in serious financial trouble. Or it was God lighting up my life at that moment.. Amos uprooted his second wife and newborn son and moved to Californiaand then Masakela dropped him. Over the next few years, Amos headed the agency's newly formed rock 'n' roll department, where he worked with Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke. Kimbro, Dennis, and Napoleon Hill. Others were too big. There are people who convince themselves that they cant do anything with their lives because of whats happened to themand theyre right. But Famous Amos sued, contending trademark infringement, so he changed the name to Uncle Noname. He described his Aunt Della as "happy all the time," and as a woman who loved to cook and bake, especially chocolate-chip cookies. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). "He had great instincts about story, and he had great instincts about how to make people feel good," Shawn says. Costa Mesa, California 92627 Chocolate chip cookies have been good to him -and the cookie god knows, no one has done more for chocolate chip cookies than Amos. "He just exuded light," his son says. Born in tallahassee, florida, wally amos lived a childhood that was not always stable and trouble free. In 1975, a friend suggested to Amos that he set up a store to sell his cookies, and in March of that year, the first Famous Amos cookie store opened in Los Angeles, California. Wally later made a comeback in the world of cookies under a new name, The Cookie Kahuna, in 2014. ''They can conceptualize brilliantly but then struggle to implement.''. Film and television stars, pop singers, and politicians all professed a craving for Famous Amos cookies. Fax: (847) 803-1186 "We're going to have Chip & Cookie boutiques, we're going to focus on gift items -the dolls, cookie jars, a book -but you've got to have cookies to substantiate the concept." Famous Amos was the real star of the brand, appearing on packaging and merchandise in his signature straw hat and embroidered cotton shirt. Wallace "Wally" Amos, Jr. (born July 1, 1936) is an American television personality, entrepreneur, and author from Tallahassee, Florida. Within two years, his business operation evolved into a corporation which sold cookies nationwide in a variety of upscale stores. I believe, along with many others, that you must first ask for what you want before you can have it. Kansas City, Missouri 64141-6627 He moved to New York Citys Harlem at age 12 to live with his Aunt Della. He quit after two years, however, and joined the U.S. Air Force in 1953 where he earned his high school diploma equivalent. In an effort to revive his business, he sold a majority stake to a group of investors led by the investment firm Bass Brothers. He ultimately lost the company to investors in 1988. 1996: Uncle Noname released line of low-fat baked goods. At age 10, Amos began attending a school established in his mother's church. Wally Amos was born on July 1, 1936, in Tallahassee, Florida. It is now facing changing demographics and gentrification. Box 897Kailua, Hawaii 96734. "I loved the cookies my Aunt Della made for me," Wally Amos wrote in his motivational book, The Power in You. His company had lost millions of dollars for several consecutive years. Amos said hes always been in business to make friends, not to sell treats. . Here's Why It's Especially Dangerous To Hike SoCal Mountains Right Now, How 4 Words Upended A University's Journalism Program, And Stirred A Reckoning Over Race, What A Popular Yoga Teacher's Descent Into Conspiracy Theories Says About The 'Wellness To QAnon Pipeline', Ancient Lung Disease Strikes Countertop Cutters In LA. The Famous Amos cookie company is an American cultural icon. Business Leader Profiles for Students. But ''it was a shocker at first.'' He created a massive global brand.Famous Amos Cookies.and then lost it all.vMost cookie lovers don't. Despite the company's poor financial history, and the fact that Uncle Wally's muffins have not become the huge hit with consumers that Famous Amos cookies once were, the business had modest revenues of about $3 million last year and the product is winning fans, Mr. Avignone said. Each year, millions of delicious confections made by the company founded by Wally Amos are sold in stores nationwide. I want to tell people that if life hands them a lemon, they can turn it into lemonade. He added: Theres a lot of wisdom and spirituality in these cookies., For his part, Amos has become wiser and more spiritual himself. Bush. Amos tries to coax the pillow away from him. Barred from using his name in future cookie ventures, in 1992 Amos developed and marketed Uncle Noname (pronounced no-NAH-may) baked goods, the name being a play on his enforced anonymity. Amos ultimately advanced to the position of a full-time William Morris talent agent where he contributed to the careers of such entertainers as Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Diana Ross, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye. liverpool v nottingham forest 1989 team line ups; best crews to join in gta 5. jay chaudhry house; bimbo bakeries buying back routes; pauline taylor seeley cause of death His store also became a haven for Hollywood hopefuls in what was then a rough area around Sunset Blvd. Kellogg Company. To create buzz for his concept, he developed a backstory for "The Cookie," putting his years in show business to expert use. When his parents divorced, Wally was booted to Aunt Dellas in Harlem. What of the man who started it all? By 1985, on sales of $10 million, the Famous Amos Cookie Company reported a $300,000 loss. Amos said he has since learned how much greater the success can be with a good team. Why did Wally Amos lose his company? Among the products developed by the company are pound cakes in such flavors as banana blueberry and orange cranberry, and fat-free muffins in a variety of flavors, including corn and honey raisin bran, apple cinnamon, chocolate passion, and blueberry. He then started another job, in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency, a leading theatrical booking and hiring agency. Mr. Amos started the original Famous Amos Cookie Company with $25,000 from the singers Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, celebrity friends he knew from his days as a talent agent. Now living in South Carolina, 83-year-old Wally Amos has plans for one last venture, Aunt Della's Cookies. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. He has a thing for baked goods, specifically, cookies. Im not a production guy. Never better!". He started in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency and in 1962 became the first Black talent agent in their history. "Amos, Wally Charles wouldnt disclose revenues for Famous Amos, but noted it was the companys fastest-growing cookie brand. We are very proud of our Famous Amos cookies and believe were producing high-quality, great-tasting product, she said. ." window.__mirage2 = {petok:"DAWbIiPtfTtFzY4CfwZ6UTAwi.hV.E5y1C9rowz8sW8-86400-0"}; He quit high school, joined the Air Force, got his GED, and landed a clerical job in New York. Tietosuojakytnnstmme ja evstekytnnstmme voit lukea lis siit, miten kytmme henkiltietojasi. He'd come to the store all the time and my dad would give him free cookies. All Rights Reserved. It was bittersweet, says his son. I think its more than a fetish. And with his Keebler deal, Mr. Amos is back on the promotional circuit. They cant. [11] Uncle Noname became Uncle Wally's Muffin Company in 1999. "In financial terms," Wally wrote in 1996, "all I've done since is amass debt and miss payments." Around the time Wally lost ownership in his company, his career took perhaps it's most remarkable turn. When you walked into the cookie store, the door to the kitchen had a star on it, because that was the dressing room for 'The Cookie.' ''People really know the name and so many people still recognize the face.''. Wallace "Wally" Amos, Jr. (born July 1, 1936) is an American television personality, entrepreneur, and author from Tallahassee, Florida. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/trade-magazines/amos-wally. He dropped out of high school, though he is now spokesman for Literacy Volunteers of America and devotes a lot of his time to literacy and anti-drop-out efforts. By the early 1980s, Famous. He is undiscourageable. "I encourage parents to read aloud to children at least from birth to 6 years old. Famous Amos cookies began to be found in vending machines and in warehouse food clubs; the treats were marketed to people who had heard of the products but never had bought them. Amos has advocated literacy and helped thousands of adults learn to read. ." . "Wally Amos Launches Baked Goods Line Out of Long Island Headquarters." Amosby then, on his third wife, kid, and cookie company, began selling self-help. On June 13, 1977, Amos' picture was on the cover of Time magazine, which ran a lengthy article about him and his success. ." Amos greeted passerbyes with smiles and cookies from his latest enterprise; they responded with an affectionate Uncle Wally!, If you flow with the universe, it opens spaces for you, Wally told the reporter as they parked his cara watermelon-green SUV that looped Disneys Its a small world. Some bags contained no cookies at all. In 2002, he was traveling the world promoting Uncle Wally's muffinsand himselfsince he had become a sought after inspirational He opened a small shop on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, and began making mass quantities with the same recipe hed used in his own kitchen. Leading American Businesses. It's easy to be cheerful if you spend the other half of your life in Hawaii. I didn't have a good management team . Wally Amos was born on July 1, 1936, in Tallahassee, Florida. Wally Amosentrepreneur, motivational speaker, and authorfounded the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Company in 1975 selling bite-sized homemade chocolate chip cookies. 17678; December 20, 1993, pp. Andy Warhol came and they had cookies and milk and champagne. In 2016, Wallace "Wally" Amos appeared on ABC's "Shark Tank," asking for $50,000, which would give the investor 20% stock in the company, The Cookie Kahuna, a Hawaii-based cookie company. However, in 1985, mismanagement forced Amos to gradually sell off parts of his company. Amos no longer sports a beard or his iconic Panama hat, now displayed in a Smithsonian museum. Between visits to the rooms of patients (none of whom seem quite sure who the ebullient, kazoo-blowing guy is), Amos takes a pit stop. But his trademark smile, optimistic outlook and uncanny ability to promote remain unchanged. Amos and his cookie empire enjoyed a decade of success.