With the makers of Sriracha chili sauce feeling the heat from folks in Irwindale, CA, who say the Huy Fong factory is releasing a smelly, stinging odor into the neighborhood, one Philadelphia City Council member is calling on the company to relocate its saucy operation to the City of Brotherly Love.

In a letter to Huy Fong CEO David Tran, Philadelphia City Councilman James Kenney makes his case for why the Pennsylvania city (that I just happen to call home) is a better fit for the company.

“Philadelphians are pretty tough, so forgive me for not understanding why Irwindale city officials would cave into pressure from a few nearby residents who
can’t handle the fragrant aroma emanating from your factory there,” writes Kenney.

While he gives some ill-advised attempts at humor in his plea to Huy Fong, Kenney does bring up some relevant points, like the fact that Philadelphia has “a bountiful selection of inexpensive commercial real estate located far away from residential areas, so you never have to worry about upsetting your neighbors again.” He also points to Philly’s position on the densely populated I-95 corridor that (sort of) connects D.C. to NYC and beyond:

“To the north, your hot sauce has brought shockingly bland New England dishes back to life. To the west you have Pennsylvania, the agricultural powerhouse of the region where you could dramatically expand your limited fresh supply of chilies. To the south, Maryland crab and Carolina barbecue hasn’t
tasted the same since your beautiful red and green-capped rooster bottles started lining local grocery store shelves.
“And here in Philadelphia, known around the world for our unique and proud tradition of wrapping meat and cheese with bread, even Philly Cheeseteak purists admit loving the Sriracha on their beloved sandwich.”

While the folks in Irwindale had hoped for an immediate shutdown of the Huy Fong plant pending the outcome of their lawsuit, the judge in the case ruled that the plant can stay open at least until a Nov. 22 hearing on the matter.

[via Philly.com]

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