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.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

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.

"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.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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