With the boycott already spreading across social media, Primanti Bros. found itself in even hotter water as three of its major sponsors quickly distanced themselves from the chain. And we’re not talking about small-time partnerships either—these are companies that had long tied their brands to the cultural cachet of the Primanti sandwich, hoping to ride the coattails of its regional fame. Now, those coattails have been unceremoniously snipped
The first to go was none other than French Fry Fanatics, the supplier of the golden, crispy fries that are lovingly stuffed between the bread of every Primanti sandwich. A longtime partner, French Fry Fanatics issued a statement on social media that read, “As a brand committed to unity through the love of fries, we cannot endorse any establishment that alienates political figures, regardless of their affiliations. Effective immediately, we are ending our sponsorship with Primanti Bros.”
It seems that even the fries had enough of the political drama. As one witty social media user pointed out, “When your fries leave, you know you’ve hit rock bottom.”
Next up on the chopping block was Heinz, the ketchup kingpin and a Pittsburgh native, no less. Heinz, which had been the official ketchup of Primanti Bros. for years, released a carefully worded statement: “Heinz believes in bringing people together, not dividing them. While we have long been proud of our Pittsburgh roots, we must respectfully end our sponsorship with Primanti Bros. in light of recent events.”
