Hostess Brands, baker of iconic Twinkies cakes, said Friday it asked a court's permission to shut down the entire company after a strike crippled its operations.
The move shuts down one of the nation's oldest and largest producers of baked goods. Founded in 1930, it produces such well-known brands, aside from Twinkies, as Ding-Dongs, Ho Ho's, Sno Balls and Donettes, not to mention Wonder bread, which the company says is the best-selling white bread in the United States.
In a statement, Hostess said its bakery operations have been suspended at all plants and that it would lay off most of its 18,500 workers to focus on selling its assets. It said it has filed a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court seeking permission to close its business and sell its assets, including 33 bakeries and 565 distribution centers.
Among those assets: the recipes for its well-known brands, especially the spongy, cream-filled Twinkie, which holds a special place in America's culinary history. Over the years, it has been vilified by nutritionists, but it remains widely loved by snackers.
CEO and chairman Gregory F. Rayburn told CNBC that he was hopeful the company could sell its brands.
The company said it would continue to deliver products and its stores would remain open for several days to sell already-baked products.
A world without Twinkies, oh God the humanity!
You know I was just sitting here trying to remember when was the LAST time I ate a Twinkie. To the best of my recollection it HAS to be at least twenty five years ago.
I am a pretty healthy eater for the most part, and long ago eschewed processed white flour products except on rare occasions. (You know like birthday parties or weekend McDonald runs.)
Still the idea that there might no longer exist on this planet the fluffy white, cream filled, taste treat known as the Twinkie (Not to mention the Ding-Dong, Sno Ball, or Ho-Hos) is somewhat sad to me.
On the other hand perhaps that marketing niche can be filled with actual food this time. You know whole wheat muffins, or honey sweetened Baklava, or something that does not take minutes off of your life as you chew it. That would be good, right?
I just have to wonder if as we get down to the last Twinkie on earth, we are not plunged into a Zombie apocalypse hell-scape as depicted in the film Zombieland? Could happen.
Perhaps, in the end, civilization in this country is only tenuously held together with preservative riddled sponge cake and vanilla flavored marshmallow creme.
