Freedom Fries - The Official Renaming

The Official Renaming

On March 11, 2003, Representatives Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) and Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-North Carolina) changed all references to French fries and French toast on the menus of the three cafeterias run by the House of Representatives. House cafeterias were directed to rename French fries to "freedom fries". This action did not require a congressional vote, as Ney was chairman of the Committee on House Administration, and had authority over the House cafeterias. The simultaneous renaming of French toast to "freedom toast" attracted less attention.

According to a statement released by Ney, this move was intended to express displeasure with France's "continued refusal to stand with their U.S. allies". The statement further read: "This action today is a small but symbolic effort to show the strong displeasure many on Capitol Hill have with our so-called ally, France." The Embassy of France in Washington, D.C. made no comment.

Congressmen Ney was not the first to rename French fries "freedom fries". The privately owned fast-food restaurant Cubbie's in Beaufort, North Carolina began the renaming movement. Cubbie's owner Neal Rowland started selling fried potato strips under the name "freedom fries" in February 2003. Many Cubbie's customers are U.S. troops, as there are three military bases nearby. The restaurant and the bases were in Congressman Jones' North Carolina district. Jones chose to follow the example set by Cubbie's by "circulating a letter to his colleagues seeking to call the spuds 'freedom fries' because, he said, the French were 'sitting on the sidelines.'" In March 2007, Rowland obtained a U.S. trademark registration for the mark "freedom fries". The name change is still used by some restaurants, such as Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia and the chain restaurant Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill.

Reckitt Benckiser, maker of French's mustard, was sufficiently concerned to clarify that its brand name was derived from a family name.