Thursday, June 20, 2013

Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Tri-State area

Hostess closures lead to Quincy School District bread frenzy
Posted: 11.19.2012 at 10:18 AM
Updated: 11.19.2012 at 7:00 PM
Brooke Hasch

Brooke Hasch is a KHQA This Morning co-host for KHQA.

0
Students at Quincy Junior High School punch in their pin numbers during lunch. Hy Vee supplied the bread.
Photo

QUINCY, ILL. -- Hostess stores across the country closed their doors Monday, despite a late afternoon announcement that could spare the company.

Hostess Brands Inc. and its largest union agreed to further mediate a dispute about pay cuts. Talks are scheduled for Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the closures spurred more than a weekend rush to get the last Twinkies in stock. Even with the shut down on hold, schools across the country now have to find new bread suppliers. Like many others, the Quincy School District previously relied on a Wonder Bread distributor.

"We get several deliveries throughout the week so we get a lot of fresh bread. So we don't have a lot of stock on hand," Jean Kinder, with QPS Food Services said.

Kinder began making calls to her food distributor as soon as Hostess made its announcement Friday that it would stop all production.

"It seems like all schools are in the same bind that we're in, so they had very little stock left," Kinder said.

The district needed to find a quick alternative. Bread is a must have for school menus. Federal guidelines require a certain amount of grains in every meal.

"If you don't have the proper grains, we'll lose our funding," Sally Mueller, a QJHS cook, said.

One call to a local Hy-Vee put its bakery staff into overdrive.

"We had people here around the clock taking care of production and packaging and had it ready for the schools this morning when they stopped by to pick it up," Mark Lammers, the Broadway Hy Vee store manager, said.

Monday's order from the Quincy School District bumped Hy-Vee's bakery sales by 10 percent. That's not to mention the rush of orders coming in from local restaurants, fast food chains and other commercial businesses who also received products through Wonderbread.

"Now that those folks are out looking for new providers, they're coming in and just wiping out the bread rack," Lammers said.

As well as the dessert aisle. That's one food group schools won't have to compete with.

"No Twinkies ... it doesn't fit into the meal," Kinder said.

Hy-Vee will continue to help the Quincy School District for the next couple of days. It placed a special order with its own distributor for an increased number of bread products.

Meanwhile, the district continues to search for a permanent supplier.

Related Links

Popular Stories
Thumbnail
Teenager arrested for setting fire to Sprouts Inn
Rajah Maples  |  Tuesday, June 18, 2013  |  6 comments
Thumbnail
Internet spam calls in bomb threat to Quincy home
Chad Douglas  |  Yesterday at 3:33 AM
Thumbnail
Two day search for domestic disturbance suspect ends in arrest
KHQA Newsdesk  |  Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Follow Connect Tri-States
Get news and weather notifications on your phone by downloading the iPhone or Android app below
Sign up to get alerts and updates for breaking news, severe weather, and deals:
submit
ADVERTISEMENT
Special Features
Home & Garden
Home and garden info from our experts
Expert Connect Auto
Automotive info from our experts
Beauty & Wellness
Beauty and wellness info from our experts
Senior Living
Info on senior living from our experts
ADVERTISEMENT