HopCat goes from Crack Fries to Cosmik Fries
GRAND RAPIDS. Mich. (WLNS/WISH) – HopCat announced Monday the new name of its award-winning fries.
HopCat’s fries, formerly known as Crack Fries, will now be called Cosmik Fries. The restaurant said inspiration for the name comes from its founder’s love of Frank Zappa and his song “Cosmik Debris.”
“They’re still beer-battered and sprinkled with our signature cracked pepper seasoning. They have the same flavor that landed them on Food Network Magazine’s list of the top 10 French fries in America,” the restaurant said in a release Monday.
In a December 2018 blog post on the restaurant’s website, BarFly Ventures said the name change was parts of its “vision for creating an inclusive company that supports our communities and best serves our guests.” That vision is not compatible with the continued use of the Crack Fries name, the post said.
The name was selected over 11 years ago as a reference to the “addictive quality” of the fries and the cracked pepper seasoning on them.
In the blog post, BarFly Ventures CEO Mark Gray said the name was selected without consideration for those the drug negatively affected and that was wrong.
“The crack epidemic and the lasting impact on those it affects is not funny and never was,” the post said.
HopCat has 17 locations across the Midwest, including seven in Michigan and one in Broad Ripple.