Wendy’s announces closure of approximately 300 stores nationwide
Fast food chain Wendy’s plans to close hundreds more just a year after closing 140 stores.
Barbecue, honey mustard, and ranch are out of the way because the fan-favorite dipping sauce is back at Wendy’s.
Wendy’s lovers are now rejoicing as the fast food chain has brought back the sweet and sour sauce following the uproar after it was discontinued.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Wendy’s said it had seen “hundreds of comments” on social media and said the company hopes to resolve the issue by bringing back the sauce in 2026.
The sauce’s return comes after Wendy’s teamed up with London-based research firm Savanta to survey 1,000 Americans who eat chicken tenders, strips and nuggets. According to the survey results, 77% of respondents said that sauce makes their meal, and 9 out of 10 Americans use dipping sauce.
Wendy’s confirmed that content creator @justjazzzyidk (also known as Jazz) campaigned to take back the source. Jazz first posted about the sauce’s discontinuation on October 9th, letting social media users know how she learned about it.
In the video, she said she tried to order Wendy’s and noticed sweet and sour sauce was no longer on the list. She said the video was “a plea for Wendy’s to bring back sweet and sour.”
This week, she shared some good news about the return of the sauce.
“No dream is too big,” Jazz said in a Dec. 16 TikTok video. “We did it, folks. We called Wendy’s and they agreed that we need to bring back the sauce. It’s going to take some time, but some exciting things will happen in the meantime.”
TikToker paid for Wendy’s sweet and sour sauce on eBay
Redditors began sharing news of the popular condiment’s disappearance in September.
“I can’t believe this is actually happening. I’m speechless,” one Redditor wrote on September 20.
After his initial post in October, Jazz began sharing more updates about the sauce debacle, even joking that he would hop on a plane and get a Wendy’s if his followers could confirm that some stores still had them. Her mother said in an Oct. 19 TikTok video that she went to three different locations in Tucson, Arizona, to check on her safety.
“You don’t understand,” Jazz said. “I eat a lot of Wendy’s, and I’ve tried it without Sweet & Sour. Wendy’s Sweet & Sour was very special. It was completely different. If you like it, you’ll know there’s nothing else like it.”
Jazz added: He said he wouldn’t be surprised if that happened, as he has worked with Wendy’s in the past and even messaged them directly about the sauce. tThe company decided to end its relationship with her because she was upset that the seasoning was discontinued.
By Oct. 23, she wrote in a post that she had purchased Wendy’s sweet and sour sauce on eBay.
USA TODAY reached out to Wendy’s on Thursday, Dec. 18, to ask why the sweet and sour sauce was discontinued in the first place, but did not receive a response.
TikToker had a ‘secret stash’ of Wendy’s sweet and sour sauce
On November 3, Jazz shared a video of herself unpacking a package from a follower who previously worked at Wendy’s and was still acquainted with the current employee. Followers shipped multiple packs of the sauce. Jazz said in the video that he tried to pay the user, but the other party wouldn’t accept.
In a TikTok video shared on Nov. 17, Jazz dipped nuggets in a sweet and sour sauce she received from a follower and compared it to Wendy’s sweet chili sauce. The company describes the sauce as a “tangy, sweet, and subtly spicy sauce of Sriracha, garlic, and ginger.”
In December, Jazz shared with another follower that a Wendy’s employee opened an entire box of then-discontinued Wendy’s seasonings and sent her more sweet and sour sauce.
Now that the sauce is making a comeback, Jazz said on TikTok on Dec. 16, “I’m so happy that I don’t have to rely on my secret stash of sweet and sour things anymore.”
Saleen Martin is a reporter for USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia (757). Email sdmartin@usatoday.com.
