Two Texas cities are battling it out in hopes of bringing Sriracha from California to the Lone Star State.
Dallas-based state representative Jason Villalba wrote a letter to Huy Fong Foods urging the company whose factory was ousted from headquarters in Irwindale, Calif. late last year to move over to Texas.
"As a public official and a corporate attorney for small businesses, I am extremely troubled by excessive government interference in the operations of private, job-creating businesses like Huy Fung Foods," Villalba wrote in the message obtained by the Los Angeles Times. "You have worked too hard and have helped too many people to let government bureaucrats shut down your thriving business."
Villalba's sentiment refers to a law suit filed by citizens of the Southern California city who complained that the factory's pungent odor of hot and spicy ground chili was causing sore throats, itchy eyes, burning mouths, and even some cases of asthma attacks. Sriracha's manufacturing was momentarily stopped, while a 30-day gap period put sauce distribution on hold.
But the Dallas rep isn't the only politician pushing for the company's move - Houston representative Gene Wu said he'd challenge Villalba to a cook-off that would decide which city would get the hot sauce maker, News 92 FM reported.
Denton City Councilman Kevin Roden previously requested Sriracha's presence in Texas as well; the District 1 representative even created a Twitter hashtag, "#Sriracha2Denton" back in October 2013 to bolster support for the corporation, owned by David Tran, to move over.
Huy Fong Foods has not yet released an official statement on whether it will plant roots in the southern United States. But, as the Los Angeles Times reported, the hot sauce purveyors have been purchasing peppers from one farm in Southern California for decades, which could bear weight in the company's decision.
Still, Villalba maintained in his letter that he was adamant on bringing the cult favorite to Texas.
"The great state of Texas would welcome you and your employees with open arms if you would consider moving," he wrote. "Texas could provide you with exactly what you need to continue to grow, build and maximize the opportunities of Huy Fong Foods."
