Twinkies hit the shelves again today, returned to sale after a group of private equity firms bought the U.S. rights to produce them after the mid-2012 bankruptcy of the Twinkie’s original innovator Hostess Brands. Hostess folded because it said the average consumer had turned away from its products and preferred healthier food. The nationwide outrage after the withdrawal of the Twinkie, that “golden sponge cake with creamy filling” may have been a bit of a surprise, then.
The return of the Twinkie, which now has double the shelf life (ew), has folks across the U.S. hugely excited, of course, and #twinkie is trending on Twitter.
The Today Show retweeted Al Roker’s Vine of the Twinkie promotional character roaming the streets:
He’s arrived! #TwinkieTODAY RT @alroker #twinkies make their debut coming up on TODAY https://t.co/IO662xuaEQ
— TODAY (@todayshow) July 15, 2013
@Brnzbarbie points out the important implications for state fairs:
Twinkies are officially back! State Fairs everywhere are breathing sighs of relief! Ppl that bought them on Ebay are kicking themselves!
— BrnzBarbie (@BrnzBarbie) July 15, 2013
The Boston Herald, along with a long list of other outlets, explains the snack may be a bit smaller than folks remember:
Twinkies may be smaller than people recall http://t.co/MTAByhuegQ #BH_News
— Boston Herald News (@bh_mobile) July 15, 2013
And Grant Abbot points out the irony in the news:
That was a close one, America almost collapsed. But thankfully Twinkies are back. Nothing to see here about the NSA, go back to watching TV.
— Grant Abbott (@WolfSaviorZX) July 15, 2013
Tanya Edwards, meanwhile, taps the news to point out that homemade Twinkies are much better than the real thing:
Homemade Twinkies: Even Better Than the Real Thing http://t.co/pUFLzkDsNe
— Tanya Edwards (@MissTanya) July 15, 2013
And there’s a lot of folks who’re tweeting status updates a little like Ron Terrell’s:
Twinkies? They’re good. But I’m still waiting for the real prize. #hohos
— Ron Terrell (@RonTerrell) July 15, 2013
Are you filled with calorific glee at the return of the Twinkie? Let us know in the comments.
[Image: Flickr user Sean Benham]