Just weeks after Wendy's held a free cheeseburger promotion, according to Delish, the company pulled burgers from menus Monday at some locations in California, South Carolina and Kentucky, the "Today" show reported.
The reason? The supply chain has failed due to the coronavirus forcing slaughterhouses to shut down production, Bloomberg reported.
Grocery stores already have already rationed how much meat shoppers can buy.
Beef supplies are down about 25% because of plant closures and the lack of workers at those that are still operating, according to trade magazine Restaurant Business.
Wendy's, which promises meat that has never been frozen, told the publication, "We are working closely with our supplier partners and restaurant teams to minimize the impact to our customers and continue to monitor this closely."
Wendy’s competitors McDonald’s and Burger King have not seen the same challenges. But officials at Burger King’s parent company Restaurant Brands International stated they are aware of the issue.
"We're monitoring on an hour and daily basis. Obviously, we're working closely with suppliers to make sure we have our contingency plan," said Jose Cil, the company's CEO, during an earnings call, Restaurant Business reported.
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