Could The Delta Surge Mean Another Chick-Fil-A Sauce Shortage?

The COVID-19 pandemic has put intense strain on hospitals, educators, and just about everyone else. Now, the Delta variant of this insidious disease could be poised to wreak havoc anew on Chick-fil-A's sauce supply. Is nothing sacred anymore?

To be sure, the sauce issue is a far cry from the other issues COVID-19 is causing, but is annoying, nonetheless. Although the Atlanta-based chain hasn't announced anything of the sort yet, the potential for shortage is possible based on previous pandemic-related experience.

Back in May 2021, select Chick-fil-A restaurants had to go into a sort of sauce lockdown, thanks to unspecified supply chain issues caused by COVID-19, reported Food Network. This measure limited customers to one packet per entree, much to the chagrin of those who like to fully drown their food in Polynesian or honey mustard sauce. Unfortunately, this isn't the only problem facing the chicken chain in this trying time.

So far, there doesn't seem to be a repeat of last May's Chick-fil-A sauce shortage. But just as with the rest of the fast food industry, Chick-fil-A is experiencing some pretty unprecedented problems thanks to the pandemic. Most recently, some stores announced that the nationwide staffing shortage is limiting service capabilities, many to drive-thru service only. What started with a couple of sites is now a ripple effect around the country. This service limitation is a marked downgrade for a company that previously enjoyed heavy dining room traffic, which turned to curbside pickup as an alternative. Now, even that option is gone at many restaurants.

The Delta variant has also caused a COVID-19 breakout at at least one Chick-fil-A distribution facility, which could cause serious supply issues with the stores it services, per WRAL. Disrupted distribution has even temporarily shuttered some North Carolina restaurants that couldn't get the ingredients needed to function, says Yahoo!

So, for the foreseeable future, Chick-fil-A customers should exercise some extra patience and understanding, even if the drive-thru is doubly wrapped around the building. If nothing else, maybe think about making your own copycat recipes at home until things get back to normal.