A Michigan-based bar and restaurant chain plans to change the name of its "Crack Fries" in January to distance itself from a name associated with a drug epidemic.
A post on HopCat's website by BarFly Ventures CEO Mark Gray says the recipe and ingredients of its seasoned fries will stay the same.
"We chose the name more than 11 years ago as a reference to the addictive quality of the fries and their cracked pepper seasoning, without consideration for those the drug negatively affected," the press release reads. "We were wrong."
Gray writes that the crack epidemic "is not funny and never was."
Many on Twitter praised the decision:
This is great. Those fries were alright.
— Ryan Sholin (@ryansholin) December 11, 2018
While one person noted the amount of time it took the company to make the change:
Gray wrote the company's "vision for creating an inclusive company ... is not compatible" with the old name. A new name will be announced later, with menus planned to be reprinted mid-January.
Not everyone agreed with the change:
lmao AMERICA IS SO SENSITIVE!!! Y'all really got butt hurt and complained cause they're called CRACK fries ? 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/P1eCelolkr
— pimp squad baby 4 life (@aliciasospicy) December 11, 2018
Listen- you can go after that stupid Christmas song cause we all know it’s not even the best one BUT STAY AWAY FROM CRACK FRIES! 🤬 https://t.co/P2f2gmn5eu
— Jenna Hill-Lyle (@MsJennaLyle) December 11, 2018
Still calling them crack fries... https://t.co/VvU1g5QRqN
— EmJ (@emileerenucci) December 11, 2018
The restaurant first opened in Grand Rapids in 2008. HopCat has expanded further into the Midwest and the South since then. And for some, the change doesn't appear to be a bother as long as the fries with a cracked pepper seasoning remained the same:
Watch the video from CEO Mark Gray:
