The founder cookie brand Famous Amos, Wally Amos, dies at 88

The Sweetness of Wally Amos’ Legacy

The founder of the pop­u­lar choco­late chip cook­ie brand Famous Amos, Wal­lace “Wal­ly” Amos, has died at the age of 88. Amos passed away at his home in Hon­olu­lu on Tues­day due to com­pli­ca­tions from dementia.

From Humble Beginnings to Cookie Empire

Amos turned his hob­by of bak­ing bite-sized cook­ies while work­ing as a tal­ent agent in Hol­ly­wood into the huge­ly suc­cess­ful Famous Amos brand in 1975.

With a $25,000 loan from the likes of Mar­vin Gaye and oth­er celebri­ty friends, Amos opened his first Famous Amos cook­ie shop on Sun­set Boulevard.

A Life of Entrepreneurship and Advocacy

The life­long entre­pre­neur learned the recipe for his baked goods from his aunt in Harlem, which inspired him to pur­sue a culi­nary career. 

After serv­ing in the Air Force, Amos worked his way up the ranks at the pres­ti­gious William Mor­ris tal­ent agency, becom­ing the first Black per­son to earn the title of junior agent.

Pop Culture Icon and Cookie Innovator

As the suc­cess of Famous Amos cook­ies grew, Amos him­self became a pop cul­ture icon known for his big smile and Pana­ma hat. 

He made guest appear­ances on TV shows like “The Jef­fer­sons” and “The Office.” While Amos strug­gled to main­tain con­trol of the com­pa­ny’s finances as it expand­ed, he con­tin­ued to inno­vate, launch­ing mul­ti­ple oth­er cook­ie brands through­out his life.

Lasting Impact and Legacy

Amos remained pas­sion­ate about entre­pre­neur­ship, lit­er­a­cy, and giv­ing back to the community. 

He opened a small bak­ery in Hon­olu­lu with a sep­a­rate library of chil­dren’s books, where he would read to neigh­bor­hood kids every Saturday. 

Amos’ entre­pre­neur­ial spir­it, cook­ie inno­va­tions, and com­mit­ment to social caus­es have left a last­ing impact on the food and busi­ness world.

Wal­ly Amos’ Sweet Legacy