Growing support for a petition calling for the city of Columbus, Ohio to be renamed “Flavortown” could see the city’s residents receive an unexpected bonus: free hard seltzer.
Launched last week on Change.org, the petition was sparked by the ongoing reexamination of the legacy of Christopher Columbus, for whom the city is named.
Tyler Woodbridge, who started the petition, offers two primary reasons for selecting “Flavortown” as the city’s new name. First, the moniker refers to the culinary heritage of the area, he says, including its reputation as a go-to test market for the food industry. Second, restaurateur and celebrity chef Guy Fieri was born in the city of Columbus.
For those unfamiliar with the term “Flavortown,” Fieri coined the concept on his show “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.” According to the so-called laws of Flavortown, the reference is to “a mythical place, a state of mind, where fun and food meet in perfect harmony.”
To date, over 46,000 individuals have signed the petition in favor of the name change. Joining the conversation on Twitter and adding to the Flavortown hype, Bud Light announced “Bud Light Seltzer for all of Flavortown” if the name change goes ahead. The AB-InBev owned brand followed that message with another tweet on Monday, stating, “Petition is getting close. We’re ready to bring the flavor to Flavortown.”
Bud Light Seltzer for all of Flavortown if this happens https://t.co/hUMViimR3n
— Bud Light (@budlight) June 18, 2020
While it’s unclear exactly how Bud Light will follow up on its promise, most petitioners on Change.org agree that renaming Columbus after Fieri’s phrase would be a superior choice.
As one petitioner said, “I’ve never been to Ohio, but I would go to Flavortown.”