It’s official: You cannot get a chicken sandwich from Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.
The chicken chain on Tuesday acknowledged what had become readily apparent in recent days: That it has run out of supplies to make its chicken sandwich.
A company statement sent to the media on Tuesday suggested there are some supplies still out there but said that they are expected to run out nationwide by the end of the week. Popeyes said its supplies were meant to last through the end of September.
“The demand for the new chicken sandwich in the first few weeks following launch far exceeded our very optimistic expectations,” the company said.
“Popeyes aggressively forecasted demand through the end of September and has already sold through that inventory,” the company said. “As a result, Popeyes restaurants across the country are expected to sell out of the chicken sandwich by the end of the week.”
The company said that it is working with suppliers “to bring the new sandwich back to guests as soon as possible.” It is uncertain when those supplies could return.
The sellout came after more than a week in which the chain generated unexpectedly large crowds at its restaurants, with customers curious about a sandwich that reviewers had deemed better than the chain’s rival, Chick-fil-A.
It also followed a social media war that erupted between the chains last week, which spread quickly via social media and was joined by other concepts, from Wendy’s to &pizza.
Popeyes posted a video on its site showing the long lines and customers talking about the sandwich.
It then said that customers could download the Popeyes app to get notified when the sandwich returns.
Y’all. We love that you love The Sandwich. Unfortunately we’re sold out (for now). pic.twitter.com/Askp7aH5Rr
— Popeyes Chicken (@PopeyesChicken) August 27, 2019
UPDATE: This story has been updated with a statement from Popeyes.
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