DETROIT – Hopcat has settled on a new name for their popular fries.
Hopcat announced in December that it would be changing the name of their "crack fries," but wouldn't be changing the recipe.
"We chose the name more than 11 years ago as a reference to the addictive quality of the fries and their cracked pepper seasoning, without consideration for those the drug negatively affected. We were wrong. The crack epidemic and the lasting impact on those it affects is not funny and never was," Hopcat said at the time.
Well, just over a month later, the new name has been decided: Cosmik Fries. Nothing else will change.
“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.
"So where does the name “Cosmik” come from? One of the pillars of the HopCat brand is the love and celebration of music, and several of our restaurants are decorated with artistic renderings of some of our favorite artists. The inspiration for the name comes from Mark Sellers’ (our founder), love of Frank Zappa. One of Zappa’s classic songs, “Cosmik Debris,” mentions “the oil of Aphrodite” and “the dust of the great wazoo.” We’ve yet to incorporate these ingredients into our seasoning, but you never know what the future holds," BarFly explained.
Hopcat's fries have become one of the most popular dishes in Michigan, even holding an annual eating contest to celebrate.
HopCat has 17 locations across the Midwest, including seven in Michigan.