Patrick Duffy, Linda Purl Visit Marietta Kroger for Charity Event

By Mark Woolsey

A pair of well-known 70s and 80s TV stars came to Cobb County this week to discuss the ins and outs of bread. For a very good cause.

What a spokesman labeled a packed house turned out at a Marietta Kroger to meet-and-greet Patrick Duffy and his partner Linda  Purl. Duffy starred in the nighttime soap “Dallas” and the sitcom “Step by Step.” Purl did star turns in comic “Happy Days” and the original  “Matlock.”

Nowadays, their energies are focused on giving back, looking at statistics saying one in five children in the U.S. go hungry.

They got into the bread business which they dubbed ”Duffy’s Dough” after Duffy’s mother was gifted with a sourdough starter dating back to the Alaska gold rush era. The resulting tasty bread graced Duffy family tables for decades, from 1952 on.

About five years ago Duffy and Purl hit on a way to make a difference in what the “Dallas” star labeled the “legacy” portions of their lives.

They started turning out the same sourdough artisan bread in their garage with a goal from the outset of donating 100 percent of their profits to hunger relief.

The couple quickly found that a considerable learning curve was involved.

“We thought that you would just make it out of the garage and sell it,” says Duffy. “We found out that you have to have a food license basically, that you have to pass a food handlers test, that you have to be certified.”

Other unanticipated challenges reared their heads.

“We soon reached the limits of what two people could do,” says Duffy. The breadmaking moved to an outside facility.

The business got a jumpstart when they talked to representatives of Kroger, drawn by the company’s anti-hunger programs.

“The Atlanta division alone gives away 300 thousand pounds of food a year,” says Purl. “And that’s just  the baseline  of what they do.”

They emerged from the meeting with a handshake deal and a burst of enthusiasm.

“They said ‘as long as sales stay good, we’ll keep you on,” said Purl, who added, “which is fair.”

Duffy’s Dough now features five varieties of sourdough products in 11 different Kroger divisions across the country, a pair of sourdough breads, two varieties of rolls and a baguette.

During Tuesday’s  event, Duffy and Purl engaged in a bit of hunger relief themselves: participating in gifting $10,000 to the Metro Atlanta Meals on Wheels nonprofit for senior citizen food relief.

“Meals on Wheels Atlanta is deeply grateful to Kroger for their generous donation,” said Charlene Crusoe-Ingram, the charity’s CEO.

And she indicated the money will be put to good use.

“Every seven dollars provides one nutritious meal for a senior  neighbor,” said Crusoe-Ingram.in a statement.“And with the help of our incredible volunteers, they deliver not just food but connection and care.”

She also indicated that the need is growing and that some 800 seniors are on a current waiting list for meals.Going forward, Duffy’s  take-and-bake kits will be available at Kroger stores in Georgia,