Wendy's Quietly Removed a Fan-Favorite Sauce, and People are Going Nuts: 'That Place Is Now Dead to Me' The fast-food chain announced this week that it would be adding a new super-spicy Ghost Pepper Ranch dipping sauce to locations around the country, but at the seeming expense of another beloved condiment.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
There are few things fast-food fans are more passionate about than their favorite sauces.
Wendy's knows this, and announced this week that it would be adding a new super-spicy dipping sauce to locations around the country: Ghost Pepper Ranch.
Ghost peppers are notoriously not for the faint of heart when it comes to spiciness, making this new addition literally the hottest selection on Wendy's menu.
"I'm proud of the work my culinary team has done to create a legacy of spice that keeps fans coming back for more with new menu innovations they crave, including Wendy's all-new Ghost Pepper Ranch Sauce," Vice President of Culinary Innovation for The Wendy's Company, John Li, said in a statement.
Related: Internet Has Meltdown After Taco Bell Removes Fan-Favorite Menu Item: 'My Life is Over'
However, hungry fans noticed that in stores where the Ghost Pepper Ranch Sauce has been rolled out, the beloved Creamy Siracha Sauce has been removed.
Understandably, people were up in arms about the quiet removal of the fan-favorite.
@Wendys BRING BACK SIRACHA SAUCE TO MA!!! THIS GHOST PEPPER RANCH ISN'T EVEN SPICY!!
— Mariah (@Mgriego12) July 17, 2021
@Wendys HOW DARE YOU??! Bring back my creamy siracha!!!!! This ghost pepper nonsense is an insult.... ugh.. I thought you all learned your lesson after you canceled my beloved spicy chicken nuggets.
— Malina M. (@MnM0814) July 19, 2021
.@Wendys I can't believe yall discontinued the creamy Sriracha sauce for the Ghost Pepper Ranch. I eat Wendys often and the Sriracha was the best sauce on the menu. Ghost Pepper was ass comparatively.
— LordBurger (@LordBurger9999) July 19, 2021
Y'all got rid of sriracha for this ghost pepper ranch for what? It's nothing in comparison. Y'all went from the best to the worst with one false move @Wendys
— michael gehrich (@MichaelGehrich) July 17, 2021
So @Wendys discontinued their creamy sriracha sauce and that place is now dead to me. Ghost pepper ranch is nowhere near.
— Dave Mac (@DaveyMaccy) July 18, 2021
i am literally so fucking sad that wendys removed their creamy siracha sauce. This ghost pepper ranch better be delicious or i'll cry
— roy (@miikopy) July 14, 2021
Just went to Wendy's today to get some of my favorite creamy siracha sauce but the don't have it @Wendys instead they replaced it with their new ghost pepper ranch sauce. I demand that they put the creamy siracha sauce back and give me copious amounts of it
— creamy siracha sauce lover (@LoverCreamy) July 12, 2021
This new ghost pepper sauce is NOT it. RIP creamy siracha. One of the reasons I went to Wendy's. @Wendys
— KidGoku (@GangsterKakash1) July 14, 2021
Boycotting @Wendys because they discontinued the siracha and replaced it with a ranch, I hate ranch
— lexxx (@bandsarecoolok) July 14, 2021
@Wendys why did you guys discontinue the creamy siracha sauce... was very disappointed in my visit
— Ty (@TyreeCarotenuti) July 15, 2021
@Wendys you guys really discontinued the creamy siracha sauce?... why are you guys still even open?? it makes no sense
— linds (@linswervoo) July 12, 2021
"That place is now dead to me," one Twitter user wrote.
"Y'all went from the best to the worst with one false move," said another.
The chain has been playing around with removing and adding fan-favorite items to its menu over the past few years, causing a frenzy when it brought back Spicy Chicken Nuggets in 2019.
Wendy's has shifted its focus recently to doubling down on design of its restaurants, including pop-ups, kiosks, an enhanced digital experience and even rolling out ghost kitchens as the pandemic begins to wane.
"We definitely look at what we can do to make sure we can improve speed of service," Abigail Pringle, President, International and Chief Development Officer of Wendy's, told Entrepreneur in a virtual call in May. "We can take the friction out of the experience, but also change everything from when you drive up on the parking lot to when you place your order to when you get your food and to when you leave through the dining room or through the pickup window."
Wendy's stock was down 2.27% year over year as of late Monday afternoon.
