There are many who feel that people are “sue happy” and they will go to court for almost any reason. It seems as if this may not be very far from the truth, thanks to a potential lawsuit from a California man.
The target of the lawsuit is the hot sauce, Texas Pete. They are facing a possible lawsuit because that man in California learned that the hot sauce was not being made in Texas but rather, was being made in North Carolina.
According to the San Fransisco Gate, it all started in September 2021, when Philip White went to Ralph’s Supermarket and purchased a bottle of Texas Pete. He thought that the sauce was made in Texas, as the label would have you believe.
He says that if he had known the sauce was being made in North Carolina, he wouldn’t have bought it. North Carolina is where the manufacturer has its headquarters set up, in Winston-Salem.
If you look closely enough at the bottleneck, however, you will see that it clearly says they are manufacturing Texas Pete in North Carolina. Perhaps it wasn’t obvious enough, because now he is trying to file a lawsuit.
One of the reasons why he was duped is because of the imagery that is on the label, something he refers to as being “distinctively Texan.” Some of the imagery he is referring to includes the white Lone Star from the flag and a cowboy that is lassoing something.
According to the company website, Sam Garner agreed to the name of Texas Pete because the state of Texas has a reputation for spicy cuisine. Pete also was referring to his son.
The website goes on to say: “The current factory, built in 1942 and added onto too many times to count, sits on the original Garner family home site in northwest Winston-Salem. “And the legendary Texas Pete, proud of his cowboy heritage but also a proud North Carolinian, continues to thrive.”
According to the lawsuit, however, “there is surprisingly nothing Texas about them.”
If the lawsuit is successful, TW Garner foods would have to pay damages and change both its name and branding. How does North Carolina Pete sound?