Chick-fil-a faces a shortage of sauce

Sauces scarce at some restaurants, but Atlantabased company says chicken supply still strong.

The Atlanta-based fast food chain says it’s experiencing a shortage of select items in some, not all, locations.

It’s not just gasoline that some Americans may have to do without. Chick-fil-a is cautioning customers that it is facing shortages of some items, particularly sauces.

A spokesperson for the Atlanta-based chain said Wednesday “some” restaurants are experiencing “a shortage of select items” and that it is working to solve the issue “quickly.”

The company blamed “industry-wide supply chain disruptions.” It said that its chicken supply remains strong, and that the chain hasn’t been impacted by a broader poultry shortage.

Though Chick-fil-a has had brief shortages of some other items, the most widespread limitation has been with sauces, which it cautioned about in an earlier, brief posting on its website. At many restaurants, customers are receiving only one dipping sauce cup per entrée.

Various franchisee-run restaurants in the nearly 2,600-restaurant chain may be handling the issue in different ways. One sent an email to customers saying patrons would be limited to one sauce per entrée, two sauces per meal and three sauces per 30-count nuggets, according to WTRF, a TV station in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Though the vast majority of Chick-fil-a’s dining rooms remained closed for much of the pandemic, sales and profits have soared over the last year at the company, boosted by its busy drive-thru lanes.

At times during the pandemic, consumers and businesses have faced a variety of shortages, from toilet paper to semiconductor chips needed in automobiles.

This week, gas stations have run out of fuel as consumers in Georgia and other East Coast states rushed to fill up their vehicles after Alpharetta-based Colonial Pipeline shut down its fuel transportation network following a ransomware attack.

AJC FILE Though Chick-fil-a has had brief shortages of some other items, the most widespread limitation has been with sauces, which it cautioned about in an earlier, brief posting on its website. At many restaurants, customers are receiving only one dipping sauce cup per entrée.