It’s Friday night, the bevs are flowing, and you’ve just spent 25 minutes talking to the bouncer about “My Dad Wrote a Porno.” Stumbling home from the pub, you direct yourself to the closest fried chicken outlet only to find that it is closed. Is this … You think. Is this the end?
Indeed, this was the fate for many hungry customers last week, as KFC had to temporarily close hundreds of its stores due to a chicken shortage. According to the BBC, the fast food outlet—which specialises in chicken—ran out of chicken after operational difficulties with its new delivery company. As a result, over 200 stores had to close or change their menu, leaving customers outraged at not being able to get their six-piece bargain buckets.
Videos by VICE
KFC, which has around 900 stores in the UK, blamed “teething problems” caused when it switched from using South African-owned distribution group Bidvet to a new delivery company, DHF. The fast food chain said in a statement on Twitter that they would “not compromise on quality” and that the resulting lack of chicken “meant some of [their] restaurants are closed, and others are operating a limited menu or shortened hours.”
This isn’t the first time KFC has had an issue with supplies. Earlier this year, shortages of KFC’s iconic gravy and coleslaw were reported in New Zealand, due to a “technical issue in the kitchen.”
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected.
