Twinkies Will Return in 3 Weeks

Hostess is betting on a sweet comeback for its Twinkies snack cakes when they return to store shelves next month. The company that went bankrupt after an acrimonious fight with its unionized workers last year is back up and running under new owners and a leaner structure. It says it plans to have Twinkies and other snack cakes back on shelves starting July 15. The company says the cakes will taste the same but that the boxes will now bare the tag line: "The Sweetest Comeback In The History Of Ever."

In the months since they vanished from shelves, the cakes have been getting a few touchups as well. For the CupCakes, the company is now using dark cocoa instead of milk chocolate to give them a richer, darker appearance. Looking ahead, the company's president sees Hostess expanding its product lineup, with different textures—such as crunchy—and different flavors. He also said there are many trendy health attributes the company could tap into, such as gluten-free, added fiber, low sugar, and low sodium. (More Twinkies stories.)