Chicken shortage: KFC has run out of chicken
Yui Mok/PA
Sean Morrison @seanmorrison_20 February 2018
KFC has closed an unprecedented number of its UK branches after the fast food giant ran out of chicken to serve its hungry customers.
Well over half of its outlets in Britain were forced to shut their doors after what has been described as the “great 2018 chicken drought” wreaked havoc.
Distraught chicken lovers took to social media to vent their outrage when they showed up at their local KFC only to find its shutters were down amid the poultry pandemonium.
But what actually caused this chicken chaos, and when will we be able to tuck in to the chain’s famous bargain buckets again?
What caused the chicken shortage?
Ongoing “operational issues” with the company’s new distribution system is causing the shortage, KFC has said.
The fast food giant recently swapped its delivery partner, and due to “a couple teething problems” chicken has not been shipped to most of its stores.
A closed sign outside a KFC restaurant (Gareth Fuller/PA )
Gareth Fuller/PA
The fried chicken chain last week switched its delivery contract to delivery company DHL.
Amid the mayhem, DHL said in statement: "Due to operational issues, a number of deliveries in recent days have been incomplete or delayed.
“We are working with our partners, KFC and QSL, to rectify the situation as a priority and apologise for any inconvenience."
How many stores have been affected?
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More than 500 KFC stores were closed after the new delivery contract DHL sparked chicken shortages across the country.
The company released an updated list of outlets that were still open as of 9pm on Monday night - though KFC said earlier in the day that many were offering limited menus or had cut their hours.
A spokeswoman for the firm said 575 of KFC's nearly 900 stores were closed due to the shortage.
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When will the problem be fixed?
It was not immediately clear just how long the chicken shortage would last, but KFC said on Tuesday that it expects some stores to remain closed for the rest of the week.
A KFC spokesman said staff are working “flat out” to clear the backlog, adding that outlets that do open in the coming days may not have chicken on the menu.
He said: “We anticipate the number of closures will reduce today and over the coming days as our teams work flat out all hours to clear the backlog.
“Each day more deliveries are being made, however, we expect the disruption to some restaurants to continue over the remainder of the week, meaning some will be closed and others operating with a reduced menu or shortened hours.”
Many of the stores are expected to remain closed throughout the week
Gareth Fuller/PA
In the meantime, is there any other way I can get my KFC chicken fix?
Not all KFC outlets are closed. Click here to see the full list of those that are open despite the shortage.
If none are open near you, you could always get your fried chicken from elsewhere. And YouTube sensation the Chicken Connoisseur has reviewed plenty of chicken shops across the country to help you pick the right one.
What is going to happen to KFC staff salaries during the ‘drought’?
KFC said that in the restaurants owned by the chain, staff on short-term contracts would be paid the average hours worked per day over the past 12 weeks, while those on salaries would be paid as normal.
But 80 per cent of KFC outlets are run on a franchise basis.
The chain in statement added: "Franchisees will be seeking their own independent advice, but we're encouraging them to adopt this policy too.”
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