Penzeys Spices Doubles Down on Republican Discrimination

Spices and herbs bring bold flavor to dishes. yari2000

With its bright red heart logo and cheerful yellow “Penzeys” in the middle, Penzeys Spices appears like a welcoming establishment for all.

It helps that on its website, Penzeys says it’s “trying to make the world a better place,” and it’s running its business in such a way as to “encourage the kindness and compassion that’s needed to take on the world’s problems.”

With such a warm and welcoming attitude in its “About Us” section, it came as a surprise to many when, on Jan. 6, Penzeys called Republicans racist in its “Voice of Cooking” email and said they were the “#1 threat” to the United States.

The backlash was sure and swift, and on Jan. 28, Penzeys again made its position clear, this time in a Facebook post.

Exotic spices at a marketplace. Beverly Mann

“2022 is the year to say enough with the Republican obstruction and leave trying to appease them behind. After starting the year with our Voice Of Cooking email list calling out All Republicans ... and following up with Republicans are Racists, we’ve set a nice little Boycott Penzeys! surge in motion.”

According to Penzeys’ CEO Bill Penzey, calling Republicans racist didn’t win him customers. Instead, he lost 40,005 email subscribers—“roughly three percent” of total subscribers—and was the subject of a boycott. He enjoined his customers to please buy a “Choose Love gift card” to help.

The loss of customers didn’t deter Penzeys, however. Instead, the company doubled down and added its anti-Republican view next to its “About Us” section on its website. It’s titled “About Republicans.”

Most recently, on Sept. 9, Penzeys again reminded its customers to ponder the awfulness of Republicans, and let this inform their vote in the upcoming November election.

‘About Republicans’

Penzeys Spices has locations across the United States and is headquartered in Wisconsin. However, it’s not a public company and, as such, doesn’t answer to shareholders. It is owned by Bill Penzey.

According to Penzey, the Republican party is in a “slow decline,” and while it may look like the decline is due to “insanity,” it’s actually due to a carefully designed plan intended to preserve the power of those who profit from “inhumanity.”

“From the environment, to racism/discrimination, to health, to saving our democracy at home and growing it abroad, half the time Republicans are intentionally blocking the solution to the problems we face. The other half of the time, they are the problem we face,” Penzey writes.

Penzey says he’s taking this stance because he’s trying to save America and “planet Earth” from the dastardly mechanism of Republican voters. But for those who might accuse Penzey of hate, he assures his readers that’s not the case.

“There is no HATE!!! in any of this,” Penzey exclaims. “I actually like and respect most of you guys. Sure, there are a growing number that are there for the racism, but I still believe the majority of you have good hearts that want to help and do the right thing.”

Former U.S. President Donald Trump raises his fist while walking to a vehicle outside of Trump Tower in New York City on Aug. 10, 2022. Stringer/AFP via Getty Images

The problem, Penzey continues, is that Republicans have turned away from past morals to vote for people who are the antithesis of their values.

“Remember when your distrust of big city types, and your deep rooted beliefs in paying your debts, respecting your marriage, raising kids willing to serve, honoring your word, and going to church every week had you voting for Donald Trump over Joe Biden all because Biden’s son had a computer? Or how you couldn’t vote for Hillary because she was over-prepared and used emails?” Penzey taunts Republicans.

He says he can’t pretend “the Republican Party’s embrace of cruelty, racism, Covid lies, climate change denial, and threats to democracy are anything other than the risks they legitimately are.” However, if you, as a Republican, still want to be a Penzeys’s customer, he’s happy to serve you.

But he will, “on a regular basis,” try to get Republicans to wake up from their “dream” and realize how much of a threat they indeed are. If Republicans don’t like that, Penzey concludes they might want to find spices elsewhere.

Profiting from Discrimination

The “About Republicans” section of Penzeys website clarifies the company’s stance on Republicans. But it’s also easy to miss unless you’re curious about the company.

Thus, to increase awareness about the insidious nature of Republicans, Penzey’s again took to Facebook—something its posts show hasn’t happened since last February.

“Sure the 2020 election was big, but in hindsight we had no idea just how dangerous the Republican Party had become,” Penzey stated on Sep. 9.

“In November of 2020 it was unfathomable that the leaders of an American party would seek to overthrow our government and end our democracy and in the aftermath purge all from the party who refused to declare loyalty to the coup leaders.”

Demonstrators gather on the steps of the Montana State Capitol protesting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Helena, Montana in March 15, 2021. Thom Bridge/Independent Record via AP

Republicans are so horrendous, Penzey said, that they “intentionally” spread lies about COVID-19 treatments so that they could keep it alive as a “political issue.” That resulted in “hundreds of thousands of needless American deaths and millions of cases of long-term Covid,” Penzey told his readers.

If Republicans gain control after the November election, they’ll continue their rain of “inhumanity,” which includes intentional cruelty and bullying to LGBTQ+ school kids,” Penzey cautioned.

Then, Penzey hit his readers with the solution to the looming Republican threat. “Cooking is caring and it’s the antidote to the inhumanity the Republicans are hoping to grow.”

So, buy Penzeys spices and use the code “love” during checkout to get a discount, Penzey happily concludes. Then use those spices to cook often, as doing so will “let people know they are loved.”

Missing the Love

Seeking clarity on why Penzeys decided to publish its stance on Republicans, The Epoch Times reached out to Penzeys Spices and Bill Penzey on Sep. 16.

Despite an autoreply from Penzeys which promised a response within “one business day,” The Epoch Times has not received a response.