What to know
- Sad Nuggie has opened a year-long pop-up at CF Toronto Eaton Centre where customers can “adopt” from more than 40 chicken nugget plushies, fry them in-store, and receive a matching health card as part of the interactive experience.
- The Canadian brand started as a meme-style animated account during the pandemic before turning its “crying, but trying” chicken nugget character into a viral plushie business aimed at Gen Z and millennials looking for comfort, humour and relatability.
- Torontonians are already comparing the craze to Labubu, with TikTok users flooding comments about lining up to adopt their own “nuggie,” especially fan favourites like the raccoon nuggie, which co-founder Ryan Thompson calls Toronto’s mascot.
When you’re down, nothing hits like a hug and your favourite comfort food. Sad Nuggie combines both — a squishy chicken nugget plush with a personality to match yours.
Last week, Sad Nuggie opened a one-year pop-up at the Eaton Centre, where customers can choose from over 40 plushies, fry them, and take them home with their own health card.
The Canadian-owned and operated company started out as an online meme through animated videos for two years — a funny, relatable experience during COVID-19. After gaining traction, chicken nugget plushies became a bestseller, starting at $40 for a regular nuggie.
Ryan Thompson, one of the co-founders of Sad Nuggie, believed this product would be a relatable, funny plushie perfect for Gen Z and millennials during COVID and other sad, lonely times.
“Everyone loves chicken nuggets. So we went with the chicken nugget, and we just made him relatable, as in, he’s just having a hard time. His motto became ‘crying, but trying,’” Thompson told Now Toronto.
The character is intended to bond with people and help both adults and children struggling with mental health.
Instead of buying a cheaper plushie off the shelf, Sad Nuggie aims to create a “mini Disney World” through an interactive experience.
“The plush market’s crazy, ranging from $5 up to hundreds of dollars for a plushie. So we try to hit right in the middle and give more value,” Thompson said.
@kaylaloganblog Love a Canadian Nuggie 🇨🇦@Sad Nuggie Ltd @Sad Nuggie #sadnuggiesadoptioncentre #sadnuggie #popup #popuptoronto #toronto ♬ original sound – Daryl Hall & John Oates
The experience goes beyond the frying and receiving a health card (treated as a lifetime warranty.) Sad Nuggie’s medical centre helps with any rips, can also serve as a mental wellness check, provide X-ray reports, and more.
This pop-up is meant to provide people with laughter and a break from reality.
From the original naked nuggie to the other bunch of nuggies, there’s one for everyone.
Thompson attributes the raccoon nuggie as Toronto’s mascot.
“It’s a bit of chaos. It’s cute. But, you know, there’s a lot of stuff happening, crazy stuff happening all the time,” Thompson said.
But there’s also a Blue Jay sticker that’s been newly released, known as a Toronto staple.
@shopsadnuggie TORONTO! OPENING DAY IS TOMORROW! We will have giveaways to all of our first adopters (while supplies last!) #toronto #sadnuggiesadoptioncentre #sadnuggie #eatoncentre #popup ♬ original sound – Sad Nuggie Ltd
Toronto’s known for waiting in lines and loving anything and everything trending, so here’s how Torontonians are reacting to this pop-up:
“I’m so excited I’ll be adopting one on Sunday for my birthday. I’VE WAITED SO LONG FOR THIS,” one user commented.
“I am so freaking happy you have no idea. I’ve always wanted to go adopt a nuggie in person, but don’t have a car. This is perfect,” another user added.
Nuggies seem to be popular across many generations.
“I told my family all I want for Mother’s Day is to go and adopt a chicken nuggie,” one user wrote.
“Maybe I’ll celebrate my college graduation with a new nuggie,” one TikTok user added.
“So this is the next Labubu?” another questioned the item’s popularity.
