Campaign for Sriracha in Denton continues
Nicholas Friedman // Senior Staff Writer
On Monday, Denton city representatives will touch down in California to tour the Irwindale-based Huy Fong Foods Sriracha factory. The idea for making the cult-loved condiment a local novelty inches ever closer to reality with a plan to discuss a possible expansion into the Denton area.
Sriracha is a chili pepper-infused hot sauce whose future was left shrouded in mystery following the October 2013 news that manufacturer Huy Fong Foods’ factory faced possible closure.
Denton city councilman Kevin Roden said the Twitter campaign “#sriracha2denton” began as a response to the countless wonderings of the Denton community in regards to the continued availability of Sriracha following the news. This caught the attention of Huy Fong Foods and company representatives called Roden just a few weeks ago to arrange a tour of the factory.
“Immediately, [the campaign] was just to get their attention,” Roden said. “They’ve asked us to come out and just last week they talked to another delegation from Texas at the state level from Rick Perry’s office. Even if it’s not Denton, we want to be a part of the conversation that brings Sriracha to Texas.”
Huy Fong Foods CEO David Tran told NPR earlier this month that the company would keep their current factory in place, but they weren’t against the idea of possible expansion to other parts of the country in the future.
A major concern of the Irwindale city council was that the factory was located too close to neighborhoods, raising safety concerns among residents.
“From a transportation, distribution and even a logistics point of view, Denton is a perfect spot for that,” Roden said. “While their current factory is nestled in a neighborhood, our site would be far, far away from one, so there wouldn’t be the same nuisance issues.”
In an attempt to further awareness and spread the word on the Sriracha movement, a ‘Pepper Rally’ was held at the Oak Street Draft House in Denton this past Friday night consisting of Sriracha-infused drinks and t-shirts branded with “We’re Ready for the Heat #sriracha2denton.”
“The turnout was amazing and it was cool to see everyone having fun enjoying Sriracha cocktails outside,” health promotion junior Luis Zapatero said. “I think Denton has enough to offer Sriracha because there is such a cool mixture of cultures here. There is a definite love for Asian food everywhere, from sit-down restaurants to food trucks.”
Zapatero said he hopes that the company will make the decision to break ground for a factory in Denton, as it would positively improve the local economy and encourage other businesses to make their way here.
“I would be happy and surprised to see such a successful company choose Denton as a base for business,” Zapatero said. “It would be a positive move, especially with the growth the city is undergoing small business-wise with places likes Vietbites and I Heart Sushi.”
Feature photo: Huy Fong Foods’ Sriracha, a hot chili condiment often used for Asian cuisine, sits at the top shelf in the international aisle in Kroger. Council Member Kevin Roden will speak to the company with intentions of bringing a branch to Denton. Photo by Senior Staff Photographer Christina Ulsh
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