As soon as news that Wendy’s was bringing back their beloved yet short-lived ghost pepper menu items emerged, questions started flying: What’s in it? Where can I get them? When can I get them? And perhaps most importantly, how much does the Wendy’s Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich cost? And how much do the Ghost Pepper Fries cost? What can we expect to shell out in exchange for all that spicy goodness? Well, good news: I have answers. According to a press release provided to Bustle, the suggested price of the Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich is $4.99; meanwhile, for the Ghost Pepper Fries, it’s around $1.99.
As always, though, it’s worth remembering that prices aren’t standard across the entire country, even for chains — they depend on which market you’re in at any given time. Here, let’s take a look at the website Fast Food Menu Prices for an example of this principle in action. Since the ghost pepper menu items are limited edition offerings, they aren’t in the website’s database, but the regular Spicy Chicken Sandwich is, so we’ll use that as our test subject.
According to Fast Food Menu Prices, the average cost of a Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich at the time of this writing is around $4.69 (about 30 cents less than the Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich):
In Virginia, though — which is where I live — it shoots up to about $5.49:
And if I were to go into Washington, D.C. proper, the price would rise even higher:
Meanwhile, out in South Dakota — where the cost of living is lower — it drops back down to $4.69:
Long story short: Although the recommended price for the Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich is $4.99 and the recommended price for the Ghost Pepper Fries is $1.99, it’s going to fluctuate depending on where you are. If you live in an area with a high cost of living, expect to pay a little more; if you live in an area with a lower cost of living, expect to pay around the suggested price. For reference, in New Jersey last year when the items were first released, I would have paid the recommended price for both if I’d bought them separately; however, I opted for a combo plus a 50 cent upgrade, so I shelled out $7.99 for the Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich, the Ghost Pepper Fries, and a drink.
So there you have it. May the ghost pepper odds be ever in your favor.
Images: Wendy's; Fast Food Menu Prices (4)
