In late 2012, the snack cake category experienced a major shakeup when Hostess Brands Inc.—renowned for its Twinkies, Ho Hos, Ding Dongs and other sweet baked goods—abruptly ceased operations in the wake of bankruptcy. Over the next few months, the company sold some of its bread and snack cake brands to Flowers Foods, Thomasville, GA, and McKee Foods, Collegedale, TN.
In early 2013, the company re-emerged as Hostess Brands LLC—with new private equity owners—reopened some of its remaining bakeries and began delivering Twinkies, CupCakes and Donettes to retailers by July, with other products following shortly thereafter.