Hopcat changing the name of 'crack fries' because drug addiction isn't a joke

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (FOX 2) - Hopcat is making a pretty big change to one of its most popular menu items. 

The company announced this week they're changing the name of their Crack Fries. Rest assured, Hopcat said, the recipe and ingredients are not changing - only the name.

Mark Gray, CEO of Barfly Ventures, LLC, the parent company of Hopcat, said the name was intended to be tongue-in-cheek but is now being changed because drug addiction isn't a joke. 

"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 company said. 

"The crack epidemic and the lasting impact on those it affects is not funny and never was."

Hopcat didn't say what they'll start calling the fries. They'll begin reprinting their menus in January of 2019 with the new name.

Hopcat is a restaurant and craft beer bar based in Grand Rapids, Mich. It has several locations throughout Michigan and other Midwest states. 

FOX 2 reported on this story from Southfield, Mich.