Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 3

I' BBS Tastykake is one of Philly's iconic snacks, but all is not well: Sales are off and some say the line needs new products. Tasty trouble: Kan this snack be Daily News Hot Button saved? $1,000 shipping Tastykakes to his brother's 40th-birthday party in Los Angeles, nonetheless misses those trans-fats that made gave Tastykakes a certain yumminess. "When you're eating junk food, you want it to taste good, otherwise, what's the point?" says Vetri, who wishes Tastykake made a chocolate-mint product. Think outside the package. Joseph Cairns, manager of Miel Patisserie, thinks it's high time for Tastykake to open its own sit-down shops Tastyca-fes, perhaps? where customers can enjoy just-baked Tastykakes served on a plate, not pulled out of a wrapper.

His idea rang true to Feury, who notes how customers flock to Krispy Kreme stores when the "Hot Fresh" sign lights up outside, alerting customers that the doughnuts are out of the oven. "Hot, fresh Tastykakes would be awesome," he says. Stay on message. Once the basics are down, Tastykake should keep its marketing simple, says Nat See POLANECZKY Next Page YEARS FROM NOW, I will remember where I was when I heard yesterday's shocking news. I was sitting right here at the Daily News when I learned that Tastykake, financially teetering after a brutal fourth quarter, an nounced that it may have to merge with another company or gasp! sell itself.

Merge this Philadelphia RONNIE POLANECZKY icon with some out-of-town pretender pushing snacks like Drakes or, Lord help us, Little Debbie? Gag me with a cupcake. Or sell it? Hell, as long as we're peddling our local treasures, why don't we put the Liberty Bell on Craigslist? Or see if Walmart wants to buy Reading Terminal Market? The Tastykake news was so unsettling, I needed to steady myself. So I bought a pack of Butterscotch Krimpets and wolfed them down in six bites. Then I wiped the stray smears of icing from the wrapper, licking it clean. Li Because that's what you do with Krimpets.

And with Tastykake Juniors. And Chocolate and Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes. And Cream-Filled Cupcakes. And don't get me started on the pies. Golden, crust-encased oblongs of fat and sugar, shaped to fit the palm, no fork needed.

I'll admit it had been a while since I'd eaten a Tastykake. But if I'd known the company's days were numbered, I would've eaten the goodies for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the company's last disastrous quarter. Anything to save this century-old Philly friend from going the way of so many other local, beloved institutions whose names are embroidered in memory like Wanamaker, Buten, Budd, Lit and Schmidt. We can't let another cherished company die on our watch. We must Save Our Snacks! But how? My interviews yesterday with city foodies and longtime Tastykake customers revealed areas where they believe Tastykake needs to up its game.

Because are you listening, EDITORIAL: Pagel3 Tastykake CEO Charlie Pizzi? a lot of folks feel like their decades-long loyalty to the brand has been taken for granted. Says longtime Daily News reader and former Tastykake fan Sean Diver, "The cakes barely taste like cakes anymore, and are far too processed. The company hasn't had anything new that is notable in what seems like 50 years. "So, it's a 'been there ate that' kind of experience." What else are they saying? Get back to the basics. "In my restaurant, if the food doesn't blow away our customers every time they sit down, we have failed.

Tastykake should take that same attitude," says Terence Feury chef at Fork Restaurant, who has a soft spot for the Peanut Butter Kandy Kake. "They should stick with the products they do best." Executive Chef John O'Brien at Winnie's LeBus thinks the pie fillings don't taste "fresh" enough, so he'd tweak the recipe to fix that. And restaurateur Marc Vetri, a Tastykake lover who spent Ronnie Polaneczky chats at noon today about your Tastykake memories and ideas for fixing the company. "The fact that they're still just a Phi My market product (for the most part) is ridiculous considering the quality of the product is head and shoulders above what else you'll find in other areas of the country. Instead of just moving to the Navy Yard, they should have been buying bakeries in New England and the Southeast, making product there, and finding new outlets." skipintro "I really haven't noticed a difference price.

The best way to improve the finances is to increase their distribution. Tastykakes is regional with a worldwide appeal. They need to work with Wal-Mart and Target to increase their reach. Also, work with Disney to offer Tastykakes on their property, a large amount of guests are from the Delaware Valley." flavious27 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS PAGE 3 THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2011.