Leaked images and packages suggest that Wendy's is set to launch a limited-time meal offering next month inspired by the "Krabby Patty" item from the cartoon show SpongeBob SquarePants.
The images, first of an employee memo announcing the items, and then of a package of "Secret Krabby Patty Sauce," were shared on social media.
The employee memo was posted on Reddit's "r/SpongeBob" on August 21. In the post, user "Bellos1" said they work at Wendy's and the memo was sent to the restaurant by corporate. In a follow-up post several days later, Bellos1 claimed to have been fired after posting the memo on Reddit.
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The memo states "Wendy's will introduce its own version of SpongeBob's iconic Krabby Patty as part of an exclusive Krabby Patty Kollab with Paramount" on October 8. The promotion is part of a celebration for the 25th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants, which debuted in 1999.
Paramount is Nickelodeon's parent company.
"Alongside the Krabby Patty, we're also debuting a new Frosty flavor – Pineapple Under the Sea Frosty," said the memo.
Wendy's "Krabby Patty" is a "premium cheeseburger with Wendy's fresh, never frozen beef, topped with fresh produce and a secret Krabby Patty Sauce, capturing the magic of the iconic fictional sandwich for SpongeBob fans," said the memo. Further details about the burger, including specifics on "produce," were not listed.
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In the show SpongeBob SquarePants, the titular character SpongeBob is employed as a fry cook at a fast food restaurant called the "Krusty Krab." The restaurant's signature products are "Krabby Patties," which resemble hamburgers.
A reoccurring plot line throughout the show is that Plankton, owner of rival restaurant the "Chum Bucket," tries to obtain the recipe for the Krabby Patty.
The purported new frosty flavor is inspired by SpongeBob's house, said the memo. The opening line to SpongeBob SquarePants' theme song asks "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?" followed by "SpongeBob SquarePants."
The new frosty is a "Vanilla Frosty swirled with Pineapple Mango puree," they said.
Reaction to the Krabby Patty was largely positive, although many Reddit users noted that, unlike the one on the show, the Wendy's Krabby Patty was not vegetarian.
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"The Krabby Patty is an all beef patty, not vegetarian patty as per the creator's statements nor what we see in Burgerbeard's Food truck in Sponge Out of Water," said Reddit user "Stormygeddon," referring to the 2015 film "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water."
"The Krabby Patty is meatless and the buns are ‘fluffy seaweed seed buns.' So I was kinda imagining a beyond burger, buns with a hint of seaweed flavor, cheese, veggies, and secret sauce...." said Reddit user "I-m_A_Lady."
Since SpongeBob SquarePants' debut on Nickelodeon in 1999, the franchise has spawned 303 episodes, two spin-offs, several theme park rides, video games, feature-length films, and a Broadway musical. A species of mushroom was dubbed the "Spongiforma squarepantsii" in honor of the cartoon.
The show's late creator, Stephen Hillenburg, told the New York Times in a 2004 interview that he was against the idea of a real-life version of a Krabby Patty as he did not want to market the food to children. Hillenburg died in 2018 after a battle with ALS.
While the memo was not confirmed by Wendy's as authentic, the chain has not denied it either.
Evidence posted on social media by other users further suggests the memo is accurate. In the memo, it states "sauce auto-shipment" to restaurants begins on September 2.
An image of a box and packaging of "Krabby Patty Secret Sauce" was shared on the r/Wendy's subreddit by user "catbear33" on September 3. In the post, catbear33 said the restaurant "just got this in today," which corresponds to the time frame in the memo.
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Wendy's did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
