This Popular UK Fast Food Chain Keeps Running Out Of Chicken

It has been a rocky year for the restaurant industry. In the United States, fast food chains around the country have been faced with unprecedented staff shortages that have forced many companies to temporary close down locations and cut hours. Across the pond, the pandemic has also wreaked havoc on restaurant chains in the United Kingdom. Nando's, the popular South African chicken store, for instance, was just forced to temporarily close down several locations after staff shortages at its suppliers' factories led to multiple stores completely running out of chicken, as the Evening Standard reports.

"We're really sorry but our restaurant is currently closed for delivery. Don't worry, this is temporary — we're working hard to get everything back up and running, so keep an eye out for updates as we'll be back online soon," the flagship Nando's in Wood Green posted to their profile on the British food delivery service Deliveroo. Nando's announced plans to redirect 70 staff members to their suppliers' factories to help alleviate the delays and get chicken back in their stores, so they can resume normal delivery and in-store service. In the meantime, however, Nando's fans were predictably upset about the closures, with many voicing their grievances online, with many blaming #Brexit for the both the food and worker shortages, not the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Evening Standard, the current shortages are being blamed on the UK's so-called "pingdemic," which refers to the alerts people receive through the NHS app telling them they have been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Individuals who receive this alert are then forced to self-isolate to avoid spreading the virus — at least until they receive one negative COVID test if they are vaccinated or two negative tests for the unvaccinated. These self-isolations have caused disruptions throughout the entire supply chain, as workers across the industry have not been able to report to work, leading to understaffing, delays, and shortages.

"The UK food industry has been experiencing disruption across its supply chain in recent weeks due to staff shortages, and a number of our restaurants have been impacted," a Nando's spokesperson said of the recent closures. "However, we can confirm that from today Nando's will be lending seventy of our brilliant team members to support our key suppliers — working in partnership to help get things moving again. We expect to see this having a positive impact on the affected restaurants very soon, so please bear with us whilst we do everything we can to get our famous PERi-PERi chicken back where it belongs — on your plates!"