San Francisco Citizen

Boy oh boy, the Bay Area was bummed when Oakland-based Mother’s Cookies went belly up last year. But they’re back, baby, just in time for Mother’s Day, 2009. So it’s time to don your hipster T and wallow in nostalgia. Cue the Heavy Action fanfare from Monday Night Football and then contemplate the Howard Cosell-style voiceover (sadly banned from YouTube these days) copy you’d write to herald this news.  

That’s not to say that the old factory in Oakland has been secretly chugging away all these months behind closed doors Willie Wonka-style. That is to say Kelloggs is making Mother’s Cookies now. (Manufacturing tasty treats in the San Francisco Bay Area is a tough business, of course.)

Here are the old-school pink and white colors of Camel, Pig, Rhino, Elephant, Lion, and Bear – and look for yourself below to see the special Halloween colors:

via David Gallagher, click to expand

Here’s today’s press release:

The Comeback Cookie: Mother’s(R) Cookies Return

Kellogg Company Reintroduces the California Original – Mother’s(R) Cookies

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., May 5 /PRNewswire/ — Crestfallen cookie lovers once again can enjoy the sweet symbols of so many fond memories. Mother’s(R) cookies, the long-time family favorite, are making a comeback. With the same great taste fans remember, Mother’s(R) cookies made their highly anticipated return to store shelves in the Western region of the United States starting on May 4 – just in time for the 95th anniversary of Mother’s Day as well as the Mother’s(R) brand.

Since 1914, Mother’s(R) cookies have been delighting generations with favorites like the pink and white sprinkled Circus Animal(R) cookies and the rich, creme-filled Taffy(R) sandwich cookies. When the iconic brand ceased production in late 2008, cookie lovers lost not only a delicious snack, but a closely held family tradition. In December 2008, Kellogg Company acquired the trademarks and original recipes, ensuring that the cookies will continue.

“We’re thrilled to bring back a classic, beloved brand that calls to mind such strong feelings of nostalgia and happy childhood memories that parents want to pass down to their children,” said Doug VanDeVelde, senior vice president, marketing and innovation, U.S. snacks, Kellogg Company.

The Mother’s(R) cookies returning to the Western region of the United States include:

 –  Chocolate Chip
 –  Circus Animal(R)
 –  Cocadas(R)
 –  Double Fudge
 –  English Tea(R)
 –  Iced Lemonade
 –  Iced Oatmeal
 –  Macaroons
 –  Oatmeal
 –  Taffy(R)

 –  Vanilla Creme

 Mother’s(R) Milestones
From Mother’s(R) cookies’ humble beginnings on a street corner cart to the introduction of Original Circus Animal(R) cookies, today’s comeback would not be possible without Mother’s(R) cookies’ many loyal fans. Here are some memorable Mother’s(R) cookies milestones from the last 95 years:

1914 – N.M. (Noah) Wheatley runs a newspaper stand on the corner of San Francisco’s Market and Kearney Streets and decides to purchase the rights to a recipe of some home-baked cookies from one of his customers.

Circa 1915 – Wheatley trades in his corner stand and relocates to a small, one-person operation on 12th Avenue in Oakland, Calif. where he bakes about 2,000 cookies each day and night. His cookies sold for $1 a box, and his vanilla cookies were an overnight hit.

Circa 1920 – With help from a young woman named Leopoldine, the bakery grows and a romance begins. Noah and Leopoldine marry and together run the company until their son, Floyd Wheatley, is old enough to take over.

1922 – The bakery needs more space and moves to 18th Street, forcing the Wheatleys to sell their home and even their piano to pay for the move.

1949 – Success is sweet, and the bakery moves to 810 81st Avenue in Oakland, Calif. and grows to employ more than 750 people across several Western states.

1952 – Mother’s(R) cookies launches a unique promotion involving baseball player cards inserted in packages of cookies and continues to give them away as promotions at games until 1998.

1983 – Mother’s(R) cookies moves to the big screen in the movie Scarface.

2002 – Mother’s(R) cookies bakes more than 17 million cookies a day to keep up with demand.

2006 – Tough times force the company to close its operation in Oakland, Calif. and shift production to plants in Canada and Ohio.

 2008 – Mother’s(R) cookies closes its doors

 2009 – Mother’s(R) cookies return and fans everywhere rejoice.

For more information and to help spread the word about Mother’s(R) cookies return, visit www.Motherscookies.com.

About Kellogg Company

With 2008 sales of nearly $13 billion, Kellogg Company is the world’s leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles and veggie foods.  The Company’s brands include Kellogg’s(R), Keebler(R), Pop-Tarts(R), Eggo(R), Cheez-It(R), All-Bran(R), Mini-Wheats(R) Nutri-Grain(R), Rice Krispies(R), Special K(R), Chips Deluxe(R), Famous Amos(R), Sandies(R), Bear Naked(R), Kashi(R), MorningStar Farms(R), Gardenburger(R) and Stretch Island(R).  Kellogg products are manufactured in 19 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries.  For more information, visit www.kelloggcompany.com.  Kellogg Company’s Corporate Responsibility report including its approach, progress and future direction in the marketplace, workplace, environment and community can be found at www.kelloggcompany.com/CR.  For information on Kellogg Company’s commitment to nutrition, visit www.kelloggsnutrition.com.