‘Dallas’ star Patrick Duffy partners with Kroger to help fight hunger
Shoppers at Kroger stores in North Texas will soon see a familiar face on a new product.
“Dallas” star Patrick Duffy and his wife and fellow actor Linda Purl are launching Duffy’s Dough this week at more than 80 stores across the Metroplex. Expansion into the Houston area will come in the next few weeks.
If the name doesn’t give it away, Duffy’s Dough is all about bread — sourdough, to be exact.
The pair are sourdough fanatics and want to use their shared love to help fight hunger. That’s why, after operating costs are settled, 100% of profits from Duffy’s Dough will go to charitable causes like No Kid Hungry and Meals on Wheels of America.
“Even in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, one in five people in the population are affected by food scarcity,” Duffy told the Star-Telegram at a north Fort Worth Kroger this week. “The great majority of those are children.”
A gift for a gift
Duffy’s journey with sourdough started more than 70 years ago, when his mother was gifted a starter that had been passed down from Alaskan Gold Rush miners.
Growing up, Duffy’s mother would make sourdough pancakes and dinner biscuits, but he didn’t realize what the breads were being made of. It wasn’t until he was college-aged that Duffy learned about the historic starter.
It wouldn’t be for a few decades later that Duffy would think about selling the bread. That came after he reconnected with Purl after a few years.
“I was trying my very best to impress her, so I was baking,” Duffy said.
Initially, Duffy’s and Purl’s idea was to sell a dehydrated sourdough starter kit.
After finding some small success, the duo knew they needed to find a bigger partner to realize their vision. Seeking advice, they asked a friend who worked at Newman’s Own, who said they needed to go to a boardroom and make a handshake deal.
Duffy and Pearl did their research and settled on Kroger, due to the company’s customer-friendly and price-conscious approach. The problem was that they didn’t know anyone at the grocery chain.
They asked around their friend groups to see if anyone had any Kroger connections. One friend said they were on a board with someone on the Kroger board, which helped get the ball rolling.
“We took our little starter and some samples of our bread and our recipes, and we crawled in there begging,” Purl said. “It was a great meeting, it went on for four hours.”
Duffy’s Dough is in business
Duffy and Purl formed a deal with Kroger, and the grocer kept them involved at every step.
The packaging for Duffy’s Dough’s take-and-bake products features Duffy’s face, just like Newman’s Own does with founder Paul Newman. Duffy said that was part of the deal, which he was happy to oblige.
“This is gonna go on long after we’re gone,” Duffy said. “My face will look the same, no matter how old I get.”
Duffy’s Dough is launching with five products out of the gate:
- Sourdough loaf
- Multigrain sourdough loaf
- Artisan sandwich roll
- French dinner roll
- Demi sourdough baguette
Duffy and Purl said eventually they would like to add more products to Duffy’s Dough, whether that be a sourdough pancake mix or cinnamon rolls.
They also make a jalapeño cheese loaf at home, which could be in the mix. But for now, they’re focusing on the five products available.
“One step at a time,” Duffy said.
Baking up a legacy
For many, Duffy is known as Bobby Ewing, one of the stars of the long-running prime-time soap opera “Dallas.”
The show was a cultural phenomenon over its run from 1978 to 1991, with more than 80 million people alone tuning in to the episode explaining who shot J.R., the scheming oil tycoon played Larry Hagman. The show would then be revived for three more seasons in the early 2010s.
Duffy, who appeared in more than 300 episodes, attributed the success of the show to its reflection of the times.
The country was in the middle of an oil crisis. Ronald Reagan was going to become president. Cowboy culture was huge. And the Dallas Cowboys were America’s team at that point, Duffy said.
Those combinations, along with the fact that there hadn’t been a prime-time soap opera on television since “Peyton Place” in the 1960s — everything hit at the right time.
“I was just fortunate to be a part of it,” Duffy said.
Speaking of another oil industry show that films in North Texas, Duffy said he hasn’t seen “Landman” yet, but has heard good things. He also said he’s available if Taylor Sheridan needs him.
As for now, Duffy and Purl said they’re focused on shepherding Duffy’s Dough and continuing to address food scarcity around the nation.
“That’s what we want to do and actually end up being remembered by,” Duffy said. “That and reruns of ‘Matlock’ and ‘Dallas’.”
