Food & Beverage

Wendy's lets the ghosts out early this year

Photo: Provided.

July 20, 2021

A lot of the talk around the limited-service sector might be about ghost kitchens these days, but at Wendy's it's the infamous ghost pepper that has their stores all riled up this week. That's because the brand is introducing Ghost Pepper Ranch Sauce nationwide which it proudly proclaimed in a news release is its "hottest" new dipper, according to a news release.

The sauce blends the heat of ghost peppers with the ranch for kind of a hot/cool experience. For the uninitiated, a ghost pepper — actually called the Bhut jolokia — is generally considered one of the world's spiciest, along with blaze-inducing varieties like the Komodo Dragon Chili Pepper and Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper with Scoville heat-unit measurements around the 1 million SHU mark, according to Wide Open Eats.

Wendy's said its ghost pepper ranch sauce is great with its spicy chicken nuggets among other items. In fact, now through Sept. 5, diners at the chain can get a 10-piece Spicy Chicken Nuggets in a BOGO for $1 when you purchase either the nuggets, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Classic Chicken Sandwich or a Dave's Single.

"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," John Li, Wendy's vice president of Culinary Innovation, said in the release. "Every good sauce needs a partner in dipping, and spice-hungry fans can score a BOGO for $1 deal."

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Wendy's has more than 6,800 restaurants worldwide.