Wally Amos
Wallace “Wally” Amos Jr. 1936 - present
Wally Amos is best known for founding the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Corporation. When it was founded in the 1970s, Famous Amos was the first gourmet cookie business to attract a national following. But this wildly successful entrepreneur was unsatisfied with the successful launch of one cookie company, Amos, “the face that launched a thousand chips,” has started new business ventures, including the Nonamé Cookie Company, Uncle Wally’s Family of Muffins, and Chip & Cookie.
Amos’ career in business began when he gambled on himself and opened the Famous Amos cookie store in Los Angeles. The store was an instant hit, as sales topped a quarter million in the first year and surpassed $1,000,000 in sales in its second year. Just seven years after opening the storefront, Famous Amos reached was netting nearly $12 million annually. With this amount of success, Wally wisely decided it was the right time to expand.
Famous Amos cookies became a household item, as his cookies spread to grocery store aisles. Following several ownership transitions throughout the 1990s, Famous Amos was ultimately purchased by Kellogg. When Amos isn’t busy being the face of the brand, he travels the world, giving motivational speeches and writing books.
For his keen eye for business, President Ronald Reagan awarded Amos the Presidential Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence in 1986.
