Wonder Bread is making a comeback, but the classic packaged in white plastic with red, blue and yellow polka dots hasn’t hit Gainesville stores yet.
For the past year, the classic white sandwich bread was not on shelves after Hostess Brands filed bankruptcy.
But now, Flowers Foods, which bought Wonder from Hostess Brands in July, is bringing it and three other bread brands — Merita, Home Pride and Butternut back — onto store shelves throughout the U.S., USA Today reported.
Local grocers say they haven’t heard much but expect distributors to stock the shelves when it becomes available.
Taylor Hennings, a 23-year-old employee of the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, said her parents used to buy Wonder Bread when she was younger.
“I think I would try it at least once,” she said. “Just to see if it’s the same from when I was a kid.”
When Alyson Huber, a 21-year-old advertising senior, thinks of Wonder Bread, she said she recalls the small sandwich-shaped boxes she used to tote sandwiches in as a kid.
But now, as an adult, she isn’t brand-loyal.
“I don’t really buy any particular brand,” she said. “I usually always try to get whole wheat. It’s supposed to be better for you.”
But she said the bread’s marketing is positive and memorable.
“The logo makes me think it’s a friendly, happy brand,” Huber said.
Wonder Bread is known to last longer than other brands before becoming moldy, but that just means it may have different preservatives, said Wendy Dahl, an assistant UF professor in the food science and human nutrition department.
She said white breads, including Wonder Bread, usually have less fiber than whole-grain breads, but it still counts as a serving of grains.
“It wouldn’t be the best choice,” she said. “We generally recommend whole grains.”
The Wonder brand has been a part of the American food industry since 1921. It was one of the first breads that was sold pre-sliced.
The bread’s comeback may invite members of a younger generation who are unfamiliar with the brand to try it, such as Caroline Carey.
The 18-year-old UF health sciences freshman said she usually buys whole wheat, but she is somewhat familiar with the brand.
“I don’t know that much about it,” she said. “I’d probably buy it.”
A version of this story ran on page 5 on 10/8/2013 under the headline "Wonder Bread to rise again"
Wonder Bread is returning to grocery stores after being on hiatus for about a year when its former producer went bankrupt.
