Business & Tech

No More Twinkies? Hostess Shutting Down

Company to close its doors, citing worker strike.

Will there be a run on Twinkies and Ding Dongs today? 

Some of America's guiltiest pleasures could disappear from grocery store shelves after their parent company, Hostess Brands, announced it plans to go out of business, citing a labor union strike on top of a bankruptcy earlier this year.

Wonder Bread Hostess has bakeries and retail outlets all over the country, including several in California.

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In Orange County, there's a Wonder/Hostess Bakery Outlet in Anaheim at 901 E. Orangethorpe. Residents can call 714 680-9905 for more information. 

The company employs close to 19,000 people and cites high labor costs, as well as rising prices for flour and sugar, key ingredients for its baked goods.

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"Many people have worked incredibly long and hard to keep this from happening, but now Hostess Brands has no other alternative than to begin the process of winding down and preparing for the sale of our iconic brands," CEO Gregory F. Rayburn said in a letter to employees that was released to the media.

The iconic Twinkie is marketed by Hostess as a "golden sponge cake with creamy filling."

The Twinkie got its start in the 1930s, when James A. Dewar, a baker at the Continental Baking Co., dreamed it up as a replacement for a strawberry-filled shortcake the bakery was making, according to Food History. After strawberry season, the company went with a banana-flavored creme until a banana shortage during World War II, prompting a switch to the now-famous vanilla creme.

The name for the treat reportedly came to Dewar when he saw an ad for the Twinkle Toe Shoe Co. The Twinkie reportedly has 150 calories in one cake.

The company also makes the popular Ding Dong, Chocolate Cup Cake (with a creme filling and icing), Sno Balls and other sugary products. 

It's likely Hostess could sell its top brands to another company, according to business reports.

But if the iconic snack should be no more... Tell us: 

Would you miss the Twinkie? The Ding Dong? What are your Twinkie memories? Are the snacks worth saving? Do you plan to stock up?


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