This Hot Sauce Is Not Made In Texas and a Guy Is Suing Them
There's a lot of products that say "Texas" but they don't have anything to do with the Lone Star State in reality but did you know that Texas Pete hot sauce isn't made or is even from "Texas'"?
A grocery shopper has filed a class-action lawsuit against the T.W. Garner Food Co., alleging false advertising over their Texas Pete brand of hot sauce.
If you served in the military like I did, then you know that Texas Pete is the OFFICIAL hot sauce of fine military dining facilities worldwide. But "Texas Pete" ain't from Texas at all... He's an East Coaster to exact.
One Guy Angry About This Is Taking Them To Court To Defend Texas' Honor....Surprise, its A Californian.
Philip White, of Los Angeles, claims he was under the impression that Texas Pete hot sauce was produced in Texas when he purchased a $3 bottle at a Ralph’s supermarket in September 2021, according to a report from KETK. Now before we get into this deeper let me also acknowledge that I too was under the impression that it was made in Texas.
So I Decided To Do Some Digging And Found Out That The Company ADMITS To It Not Being Made In Texas On Their Website.
According to "The History Of Texas Pete" on the company's website, the spicy sauce was created in 1929 in NORTH CAROLINA when Sam Garner and his three sons, Thad, Ralph and Harold, were trying to come up with a brand name for this spicy new sauce they had created. A marketing advisor suggested the name “Mexican Joe” but thankfully they said "no" to that because let's face it, sounds a tad bit "racist". Remember this is 1929 we're talking about.
But none of that seems to matter to Mr. White and his class action lawsuit.
White, in his complaint, points to the brand’s own history as evidence of alleged false advertising. The complaint argues that the Texas branding ultimately hurts smaller companies in Texas that are trying to capitalize on the authenticity of their Texas hot sauce. I mean let's be real here, the sauce has been on the market for more nearly 100 years so its really a stretch.
White’s complaint, filed on behalf of all people in the U.S. who have purchased Texas Pete, asks the court to force Texas Pete to change its name and branding and to pay up.
T.W. Garner Food Co. filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on Nov. 10, 2022, saying that the bottle includes a label saying that the product is made in North Carolina. But on August 5th, 2023, a judge denied the motion to dismiss the lawsuit in a 20-page letter, saying that customers "could believe, erroneously, that the products originated in Texas." according to Fox News.
So The Texas Pete saga continues on as the company's parent company has until November to respond.