Local Twinkie lovers are stocking up on the iconic, sugary, cream-filled snack cakes after hearing that Hostess, the makers of Twinkies, Wonder Bread, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos are going out of business.
On Friday, Hostess CEO Gregory F. Rayburn announced the impending closure of the snack company after striking workers failed to return to work by a deadline set for Thursday. Rayburn said Hostess is now in the process of conducting layoffs of their 18,500 workers and selling its assets.
With news of America possibly facing a Twinkie-less future, many San Diegans rushed to local Hostess bakery outlets to get their hands on the beloved snack cakes.
Hostess has outlets in Escondido, Chula Vista and El Cajon.
At the Wonder/ Hostess bakery outlet located at 335 N. Quince Ave. in Escondido, a clerk told NBC 7 that items were flying off the shelves Saturday morning.
The clerk said the store was extremely busy and quickly selling out of a brand new shipment of Hostess snacks. Another clerk at that location later confirmed that particular bakery would be shutting down its doors for good by noon Monday.
Meanwhile, the phone line for the Hostess bakery outlet located at 1215 N. Cuyamaca St. in El Cajon remained busy throughout Saturday morning.
When a clerk answered around 2:15 p.m., she told NBC 7 that their location would likely shut down by Monday. She said the El Cajon bakery just received a new shipment of Twinkies and cupcakes and urged customers to come in to get their fix.
Workers at the Chula Vista Hostess bakery located at 2817 Main St. told NBC 7 their bakery would likely close by Sunday or Monday as well.
Besides rushing to local Hostess stores, Twinkie aficionados can also buy the snacks online through second-hand sales sites. The sugary cakes are being sold all over eBay for outrageous prices -- enticing buyers through equally outrageous sales pitches.
San Diego resident James Couts beefed up his Twinkie stash Saturday by shopping at the Chula Vista Hostess bakery and said he has big re-sale plans for his snack cakes.
“I’m going to save the last box and sell them on the internet, something like that. I heard they’re going for like $89 on eBay,” Couts told NBC 7.
