Debt mounted to $1.3 million and Uncle Noname filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1997, emerging just two months ago. You have to focus on what you can do, he said. Amos is a popular motivational speaker who has used his celebrity status to promote literacy and to support drop-out prevention programs. Muhammad Ali came by one year, and, you know, it was a whole thing.". He worked dilligently, eventually becoming manager of the supply department at the ritzy store. 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. The whole time he's in the men's room, from outside you can hear him humming, whistling and singing. ''I can even use my picture on here,'' he said, seemingly astonished. Wally Amos has an estimated net worth of $20 thousand as of 2023. (AP Photo/Lucy Pemoni). ", Famous Amos opened on March 10, 1975, as a small, father-and-son operation, "He and I were together," Shawn says. Over the next decade, Famous Amos expanded exponentially, growing into an international chain. It was a huge honor and one he would never forget; yet it had come, ironically, after Amos had been forced to sell his company. ", In the late afternoon, he visits a day care center for senior citizens. He bursts in, looking around in exaggerated puzzlement. His rise serves as the most infamous cautionary tale. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. I wanted to make the best chocolate chip cookies possible. I was stupid, plain and simple. (Photo: Chava Sanchez/LAist; Illustration: Elina Shatkin/LAist). In 1992, President Baking Company bought Famous Amos for $61 millionmore than 55 times what Wally Amos sold his controlling stake for just a few years earlier. Amos, Wally, and Stu Glauberman. "Famous Amos is Back in the Chips." Forbes, March 10, 1986, pp. Amos and his cookie empire enjoyed a decade of success. They were saying I didnt even have the right to my own name, Amos said in Parade. Amos's role as a perpetual hype man had its downside. Amos has three sons from his first two marriages, Shawn, Michael and Gregory. Dozens of Famous Amos stores dotted America and different versions of "The Cookie" could be found in grocery stores around the world. He represented musicians such as The Temptations, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye. As an agent, he signed .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Simon & Garfunkel and headed the agency's rock 'n' roll department. "The cookies' reputation began to grow as my contacts multiplied," he recalled in his book, The Power in You. But his trademark smile, optimistic outlook and uncanny ability to promote remain unchanged. Why Wally Amos Lost "Famous Amos Cookies" - YouTube He wasnt a businessman. He moved to New York Citys Harlem at age 12 to live with his Aunt Della. I think that's what he probably ended up discovering about himself.". ." Around this time, in 1970, Amos, frustrated both personally and professionally, began to soothe his nerves by making cookies like his Aunt Della had done. Carlsen, Clifford. Born in Tallahassee, Fla., Amos moved to New York City at age 12 because of his parents divorce. Wally Amos: From Chocolate Chip Entrepreneur to Hardship Connessior ", Everywhere he goes, people want to know, did he bring any cookies? In his book, Man With No Name: Turn Lemons Into Lemonade, Amos explains how he lost Famous Amos even before it was sold it off for $63 million to a Taiwanese company in 1991. I believe, along with many others, that you must first ask for what you want before you can have it. Yet Amos grew tired of showbiz and being 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. He showed his interest in cooking at a young age. Wally Amos was a walking, breathing brand who couldnt seem to cash in on his own success. At the time, Mr. Amos challenged the barriers of entertainment as a Black man and went on to create a flourishing cookie empire. . Famous Amos was the real star of the brand, appearing on packaging and merchandise in his signature straw hat and embroidered cotton shirt. However, in 1985, mismanagement forced Amos to gradually sell off parts of his company. 23 Feb. 2023 . But the heady times would soon end. He signed South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela and moved to Los Angeles, convinced that he could create an entertainment empire. All Rights Reserved. "Amos, Wally By 1977, when Wally moved to Hawaii with his family, Famous Amos had added two baking and manufacturing facilities and additional stores around Los Angeles and its first in Hawaii. "My responsibility, as I see it, is keeping our visibility level very high," he explained to the Los Angeles Times in 1985. 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. "Amos, Wally Masekela fired him, so Amos worked at his friend John Levy's entertainment firm. Wally Amos Net Worth: $20 Thousand Childhood Private Life Career g, ght, nd Wght Additional Ventures As a marketing hook, each bag of Uncle Nonam cookies carries a recipe for lemonade. 17678; December 20, 1993, pp. Wallace Amos, Jr. was born in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1936. "When Ray came to the studio, he told me the year we opened the store, in '75, was when he first moved to L.A. Toops, Diane. . In 1975, Amos launched the first Famous Amos store on Los Angeless Sunset Boulevard. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. His two factories were then making six tons of chocolate-chip cookies a week. Amos held a holiday block party where celebrity guests included Andy Warhol and Muhammad Ali. ''In quicksand, if you start flailing all about and panicking with each movement you go in deeper, but if you just stay calm and look about, chances are you'll see a twig or something you can reach to pull yourself out. 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. Somebody did something to me that paralyzed me for life. If you believe that, youll never move forward.. Or, if you stay there long enough someone will come and rescue you.''. Amos acknowledges making some really bad decisions, such as being too controlling and not listening to others who were advising him to do things differently. His parents divorced when he was twelve, and Amos was sent to live with his Aunt Della in Harlem, New York. The Famous Amos Cookie Company was the first premium chocolate chip cookie. I wanted to do something that really had quality. Born in Tallahassee, he has said his mother switched him at the slightest provocation. Mismanagement, Sloppy Hiring Practices, Lack Of Transparency. 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 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. After a four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, Amos returned to New York in 1957. He also has a daughter named Sarah with his third wife, Christine Harris. Being famous is highly overrated anyway, said Amos, who has lived in Hawaii since 1977. Amos attracted clients by sending them chocolate chip cookies along with an invitation to visit him. He described his Aunt Della as "happy all the time," and as a woman who loved to cook and bake, especially chocolate-chip cookies. His store also became a haven for Hollywood hopefuls in what was then a rough area around Sunset Blvd. In 1983, he wrote his autobiography, The Famous Amos Story: The Face that Launched a Thousand Chips. Unfortunately for Amos, he . The man who created the Famous Amos cookie empire three decades ago 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. Amos told Ebony: I began to have enormous success when I started doing things to do them well. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Wally Amos, Birth Year: 1936, Birth date: July 1, 1936, Birth State: Florida, Birth City: Tallahassee, Birth Country: United States. In its first month of business, Nonam reported $33,000 in sales. Your tax-deductible financial support keeps our stories free to read, instead of hidden behind paywalls. The legal order came from the owners of the Famous Amos Cookie Company. In 1986, President Reagan presented him with one of the first Awards of Entrepreneurial Excellence. That's not what I want to do. When a new job opportunity in Los Angeles backfired, Amos grew disillusioned with show business. There are people who convince themselves that they cant do anything with their lives because of whats happened to themand theyre right. Wally Amos, Jr. was born in Florida in 1936. Fax: (714) 722-4261 6 Millionaires Who Lost It All, but Came Back | Kiplinger [14], In 2020, Content Media Group released a documentary on the life of Wally Amos, The Great Cookie Comeback: reBaking Wally Amos. Never better!". Wally Amos created the first such store, on Sunset Boulevard. He has also authored ten books. And though few people knew it, Mr. Amos's personal affairs were in such disarray that during the worst of it, he was 15 months behind on the mortgage for his house in Hawaii. ". Famous amos the office | Updated February 2023 "The picture went with the company," he says. His responsibilities were diminished to the point that he became no more than a spokesperson for the brand name. The company,. As Amos told Diane Toops of Food Processing magazine, "It took me a while to catch up with my name. Amos doesn't even own his own name anymore. Ever the optimist, he views the experience as yet another reminder of the power of faith and positive thinking. "The secret of Famous Amos was my attitude. he cries. mitataksemme sivustojemme ja sovellustemme kyttsi. He started in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency and in 1962 became the first Black talent agent in their history. [1] Eventually, he became the agency's first African American talent agent. He added that they were both conscientious churchgoers who regarded "anything that appeared to be fun, like dancing" as a sin. It is entitled ''Man With No Name: How the Founder of the Censored Cookie Company Lost Everything, Including His Name -- and Turned Adversity Into Opportunity.'' A Self-Made Man Wallace Amos, Jr. was born in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1936. Bylines @BBC, The Diplomat, Christian Science Monitor, and more. I think its bordering on being fanatical.. and bake, and it was she who gave Wally Amos his first chocolate chip cookie. "The Cookie" got the full star treatment. Current Biography Yearbook. . His speaking fee runs $10,000 to $20,000, according to a booking agencys Web site. "He just exuded light," his son says. On the corner of Sunset Blvd. You cant compare a machine-made cookie with handmade cookie. He is the founder of the Famous Amos chocolate-chip cookie, the Cookie Kahuna, and Aunt Della's Cookies gourmet cookie brands, and he was the host of the adult reading program, Learn to Read . 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. What was that taste? Other biographers spin a sadder story. Thanks to his amazing promoting ability, he grew the company from $300,000 revenue in the first year to $12 million by 1982. Leading American Businesses. Or it was God lighting up my life at that moment.. Since then, Famous Amos has expanded its in-store profile, branching out to more grocery stores, gas stations and big box stores. Now he says simply, "No, no cookies. He is the creator of the Famous Amos brand of chocolate chip cookies. And Keebler was willing to let him use his name for his own business. 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. Amos uprooted his second wife and newborn son and moved to Californiaand then Masakela dropped him. The store opened on March 9, 1975, on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Formosa Avenue in Los Angeles. In 1988 the company lost $2.5 million, and the Shansby Group purchased it for $3 million. He created a massive global brandFamous Amos Cookiesand then lost it all.vMost cookie lovers don't know he hasn't been part of that company for almost 30 years.It was a devastating loss, but one he takes full responsibility for. In the late- 1980s the company changed ownership several more times, and Amos ultimately became a mere figurehead with no role in the operations of the company he had founded. Day 27: Wally Amos - Black Business History Month Amos tries to coax the pillow away from him. . Best Known For: African American entrepreneur Wally Amos founded the Famous Amos cookie brand. Black Enterprise (November 1992): p. 105. Contact at: Uncle Noname Cookie CompanyP.O. The grand opening was a star-studded gala with over 1,500 people in attendance. . "One year, the theme of the block party was 'Cookies and Milk with Amos and Andy.' For an entrepreneur who was down on his luck it was almost too good a deal to pass up. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Famous Amos's distinctive packaging became almost as famous as the cookies themselves: every brown bag featured a smiling Wally Amos, dressed in a straw Panama hat and a decorated white shirt. Theres something very nice about it. Asked about his future in Upscale magazine, Amos grinned and said: The possibilities are endless.. I have a fetish for chocolate chip cookies, Amos admitted in Ebony magazine. Wally Amos is a salesman who uses flair, hype, and showmanship to convey his message.". Amos said he told him: Im a cookie man, but if you can make a good muffin, I can sell it. 1983, Reprint. Since leaving Famous Amos behind, Wally dipped into other bakery ventures, including the launch of another cookie company in the early 1990s. At first Amos used the Nestle's recipe printed on the side of the chocolate-chip bag. . Wally Amos is a television personality, entrepreneur, and author from the United States of America. It doesn't honor a movie star or a musician. [On-line] http://www.keebler.com (accessed on August 15, 2002). While he created a thriving business, he did not have all the skills he needed to run it as it grew. "When she baked cookies and shared them, she was expressing her love for me and the rest of the family." Additionally, he has written 10 books, including an inspirational work entitled Watermelon Credo: The Book. 14647. Telephone: (856) 342-4800 He used to hand out cookies with abandon. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/economics-magazines/amos-wally. And he really, really cared about people.". On the first day, customers were lined up outside. Amos started baking to console himself, since cookies always made him feel better. He began mixing up a new idea. He later said of the experience, "We certainly had no monetary wealth, but Aunt Della's home was always rich in the principles and qualities vital to a childs upbringing. We deliver to you the weirdest love story you've ever heard. No longer Famous, Wally Amos still baking - NBC News was originally published on What is Wally Amos doing now? - The Billions TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Pollack, Judann. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with LAs top 5 stories in just 3 minutes. 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. "In the end he was a natural entertainer himself. He was the first black talent scout in America. Lower Lake, CA: Aslan Publishing, 1994. At age 10, Amos began attending a school established in his mother's church. In the early 1960s Amos took a job in the mail room at the William Morris Talent Agency. Wally Amos' Net Worth in 2023 - Bio, Age, Career, Spouse But hes hardly struggling. famous amos dancer net worth - stmatthewsbc.org While it certainly was a comment on the fact that he could not use his own name, Noname actually had a Hawaiian pronunciation, No-nah-may. [15], On July 1, 1979, Amos married Christine (Harris) Amos, who later helped him design the early merchandise and packaging for Famous Amos cookies. P.O. He started in New York, then relocated to Los Angeles, California, nearer the show business capital of Hollywood. 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.' Kun kytt sivustojamme ja sovelluksiamme, kytmme, tarjotaksemme sivustomme ja sovelluksemme sinulle, todentaaksemme kyttjt, estksemme roskapostia ja vrinkytksi sek toteuttaaksemme tietoturvatoimia. His stern mother was full of life. Today, Famous Amos is an international brand you can find in most grocery stores. "Amos, Wally 1937 Sign up for NewsOne's email newsletter! I'm a promoter.". In 1992, from his base in Hawaii, he launched a new business. He became such a known figure culturally that he appeared as himself in the Taxi episode "Latka's Cookies", in 1981. When he decided to go into the cookie business, Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy were among his backers. ." ." [9], Due to financial troubles, Amos was forced to sell the Famous Amos Company, and because the name "Famous Amos" was trademarked by his former company, he had to use The Uncle Noname's Cookie Company as his new company's name. Then in March the Keebler Company, the new owner of Famous Amos, offered Mr. Amos a two-year contract to promote his old brand. "He had a big block party for the opening of the store and every year at Christmas he'd have a big block party," Shawn recalls. However, in 1985, mismanagement forced Amos to gradually sell off parts of his company. Amos, Wally and Leroy Robinson. 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. Around the time Wally lost ownership in his company, his career took perhaps it's most remarkable turn. 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. Amos wasn't through with the cookie business, however. "Attached to the inside was a little plastic bag with the cookies inside one chocolate chip cookie with pecans, one butterscotch chip cookie with pecans, and one peanut butter chocolate chip cookie stapled right there on the front page of the proposal. .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. . What of the man who started it all? Amos headed the rock n roll department, where he signed Simon and Garfunkel and worked with Motown megastars The Supremes, Diana Ross, Sam Cooke, and Dionne Warwick. As a man who had made his living promoting other people as an agent, he used his background to come up with ways to sell cookies. Dear reader, we're asking you to help us keep local news available for all. Wally Amos gained prominence as an entrepreneur in the mid-1970s when he developed and marketed a brand of chocolate-chip cookies under the name "Famous Amos." Anyone can read what you share. Being famous is highly overrated anyway, Wally Amos, author of ten books, friend of Simon & Garfunkel, and inventor of the Famous Amos cookie, told an AP reporter in 2007. When a new job opportunity. So a decade after losing his company, Mr. Amos is back bragging about Famous Amos, like a proud father showing off his now-grown first-born. In addition to being proprietor of Chip & Cookie in Kailua, the former cookie king is now a muffin mogul. ." How Chinese Restaurants Shaped Tiki Culture In LA, The Weird And Wild Flavors Of Musso And Frank's Most Old Timey Dishes. The Power in You: Ten Secret Ingredients for Inner Strength. Using a modified version of his Aunt Della's recipe, he planned to open the first freestanding cookie store. He sought help to save the company, and ultimately himself. Within months, Amos had opened two more West Coast franchises, and the New York-based Bloomingdale's department store had begun selling the gourmet cookies. U.S.A. The rise and fall of Wally Amos, who founded Famous Amos cookies, is an unexpected story of great success and tragic downfall. "Crack Reporter Brings Famous Amos to His Knees." Two years after opening his first store in Los Angeles, Amos was at the helm of a large corporation, selling cookies as well as other "Famous Amos" paraphernalia, worldwide. Racist Ex-University Of Kentucky 'Karen' Sophia Rosing Is Charged For Assaulting Black Student, Mississippi Cops Beat, Waterboarded Handcuffed Black Men, Shot 1 For Dating White Women': Lawyers. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. After dropping out of high school, he served in the Air Force and worked in the stockroom of Saks Fifth Avenue. The message was, before you even turn the page, taste the cookies.". Amos told Newsweek that when he saw his completed storefront, he was overjoyed. Amos elevated a product that was seen as an everyday item into a gourmet experience, says Szewczyk. "He's the white sheep of the family. Born July 1, 1937, in Tallahassee, FL; married, wifes name Christine; four children. Within two years Amos returned to retail marketing based on a chocolate chip theme with his Chip & Cookie concept. Like our content? The idea seemed far-fetched, but by 1974, Amos had grown completely disillusioned with the entertainment business. During his four years in the military, he finished his high school education. Famous Amos cookies were crisp and nutty, with a satisfying bite that most chocolate chip cookies lacked. How much did Wally Amos sell his company for? To Wally, setbacks were burnt cookiessacrifices on the alter of carelessness. In nine books, hundreds of speeches, and countless baking metaphors, Wally pours half-full glasses. According to Amos, his success as an author and a motivational speaker is due in no small part to his Aunt Della: "[Aunt Della's] basic recipe for cookies became the foundation for much of my success. 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. That something was baking cookies. Growing up poor in the segregated South, he faced adult responsibilities at an early age. However, in 1985, mismanagement forced Amos to gradually sell off parts of his company. U.S.A. I think its more than a fetish. https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/amos-wally-1937, "Amos, Wally 1937 Business Leader Profiles for Students. . Legends: Wally Amos | SUCCESS Money was so scarce for him and his family that he often had to walk four miles to and from school to save the bus fare. I'm especially glad that Famous Amos Cookies are now in the hands of people who love, live, and breathe great-tasting cookies." Amos, Wally, and Leroy Robinson. . She loved to cook, and she lavished the youngster with her special chocolate chip cookies. The later book dealt with Amos's legal battles with Famous Amos, which resulted in Amos being unable to use his name or face to sell any baked products. The man beams. He retained a position on the board of directors but was relieved of day-to-day responsibilities in the company. Former politics editor at the Cambodia Daily. Beaverton, Oregon 97077 . ''If Dave left Wendy's and came back after 10 years because things had not gone well the message is signaling change that 'We're going back to the way we used to be.' Astrological Sign: Cancer. He has written 10 books,[6] many of which have a self-help theme, including The Cookie Never Crumbles[7] and The Power in You. Why TV Icon Deserves Her Flowers, The Promising Rise And Stunning Fall Of Jason Mitchell, The Story Of Wally Amos: From His Great Success To Tragic Downfall Fax: (816) 502-4155 Amos began to spread the love around, not only to friends but to business associates in the entertainment business. In 1975, he explained his strategy to the New York Times: The marketing campaign worked. Did cookie kahuna go out of business? - aruwana.dixiesewing.com Keebler also gave Amos another gift: the use of his name and face. It doesn't even honor a person. Amos and his cookie empire enjoyed a decade of success. How Wally Amos Made Famous Amos Cookies So Famous - LAist He is about to return to the cookie business. Watermelon was a food that had taken on a negative meaning since all African Americans were assumed to be especially fond of it. In some areas I am more noted for reading then I am for cookies! [1] I have a fetish for chocolate chip cookies. "Whenever I see him, I've got a bag waiting for me.". How Did Amos Lose Famous Amos Cookies? . I was about to get out of the car when I saw, for the first time, the logo on the side of the building: THE ORIGINAL HOME OF THE FAMOUS AMOS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE. Kimbro, Dennis, and Napoleon Hill. While the launch of Famous Amos was glitzy, the man behind the glitz worked from dawn to dusk baking and selling his cookies. You might as well eat Chips Ahoy." Im not a production guy. http://www.GreatCookieComeback.com Wally Amos was the King of the Cookie Kingdom. Public Company, 1740 Monrovia Avenue He created a massive global brand.Famous Amos Cookies.and then lost it all.vMost cookie lovers don't. Amos later recalled that the person of greatest influence in his childhood was his father's mother. Yet his legacy as a barrier-breaking entrepreneur remains. This time, having learned from his previous business errors, Amos has employed a professional management team to run the dollars-and-cents end of the company. His title choice, however, raised some eyebrows. Amos remained on the companys board as vice-chairman, but he became increasingly dismayed as the venture was sold to one investment group after another. In 1998, Keebler purchased the brand, keeping Amos as the spokesperson. I'll call you Famous Amos." Amos! Wally Amos, famed entrepreneur and founder of the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie brand, was born Wallace Amos Jr. on July 1, 1936, in Tallahassee, Florida. Amos, who turned 71 this month, is co-founder and shareholder of Uncle Wallys Muffin Co., whose products are found in 5,000 stores nationwide, including Costco and Wal-Mart. 2023 Southern California Public Radio - All Rights Reserved, The Early LA Daredevils Who Defied Gender Norms, The Groundbreaking Suicide Squad That Tested Early Rockets And Flirted With The Occult, Why A Property Worth Millions Was Returned To The Tongva Tribe, The Rise Of Lady Lowriders And Other All-Women Car Clubs In LA, The Murderous Lover Who Lived In A Silver Lake Attic. He quit high school, joined the Air Force, got his GED, and landed a clerical job in New York. Wally Amos was born on July 1, 1936, in Tallahassee, Florida. "There's a really high awareness of chocolate chip cookies now, and that was created by me."