TSR Foodies: Say it ain’t so! This country is on the verge of a chicken crisis and things aren’t looking good for restaurants or grocery stores. So the next time you forget to take the chicken out of the freezer, don’t feel too bad because that could have been the last of your supply!
The pandemic is apparently to blame for a current chicken shortage facing the nation, according to ABC News.
Covid restrictions prompted poultry plants to reduce staff, while at the same time, the need for comfort food has been on the rise with millions of Americans staying inside.
“We didn’t have optimal chicken distribution. Some chicken was in some parts of the world that needed to be in other parts of the world. We just couldn’t move it around,” said Ben Kaplan, the CEO of TOP Agency, a network of marketing agencies.
You can also add bad weather and power outages in major poultry-producing states like Texas and Arkansas to the list of causes, according to the National Chicken Council.
This looming shortage may have been inevitable, considering some experts say the surging demand for chicken started before the pandemic.
Fast-food chains like McDonald’s reported that chicken is selling “beyond expectations.”
And let’s not count out Popeyes’ release of its infamous chicken sandwich in 2019, and all the fast food chains that have since been trying to play catch-up.
According to Popeyes, the company sold 203 million sandwiches the year after its release, with one location reportedly selling 3,582 sandwiches in one day.
KFC, another popular chicken chain, saw its sales spike 14% last quarter. The CEO of KFC’s parent company said the popularity of their new chicken sandwich coupled with a tightening supply also has them struggling to keep up with demand.
Will your dinner be affected next? Stay tuned!
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