Clucked Up: Restaurants Are Running Out Of Chicken

In the '80s, Clara Peller famously asked "Where's the beef?" If she were doing fast food commercials now, the question would have to be "Where are the wings?"

Bojangles, Wingstop, KFC, East Coast Wings + Grill, Kristophers, Moe's BBQ, and many other Charlotte-area restaurants are all facing the same challenge. A chicken shortage. WSOC-TV reports that the problem is affecting restaurants across North Carolina and the nation.

What's causing this crisis? A couple of things. You can blame COVID-19 supply shifts as well as the so-called 'chicken sandwich war.' Since Popeye's introduced their hit menu item in 2019, just about every other fast food chain has introduced something similar to compete with it. KFC has been struggling to keep up with the demand for its new chicken sandwich.

Restaurants owners are having an especially hard time keeping their coolers stocked with chicken wings. Those that can get them are paying more than double per case. Kristophers and Moe’s BBQ in Matthews have taken wings off their menus, and Bojangles has reportedly been running low on their beloved Chicken Supremes.

How will this go for those of us who cook at home? According to the North Carolina Poultry Federation, the supplies of chicken breast meat and boneless dark meat are also very tight, but not as much as wings. With grilling season here, the nationwide demand for wings is expected to last at least through Labor Day.