On Wednesday night, Chick-fil-A announced a national condiment shortage caused by a supply chain disruption. Though the item most affected by the disruption is their signature Chick-fil-A sauce, the fast-food company has seen a severe cutback on most sauces at over 2,600 locations. 

Despite this being a non-alarming issue, it still has the public in outrage, as social media exploded with all sorts of emotional commentary. 

“I don’t want anyone to panic, but Chick Fil A HAS STARTED TO RATION ITS SAUCES AND NOW THE WORLD IS ENDING,” wrote @ClayTravis on Twitter.

This public response has blown up the issue massively, pinning it down as a political problem. Over the past few days, commentators have blamed government officials, the economic structure of America, and even President Biden for the lack of supply in the sauce. Last Wednesday Ted Cruz tweeted that “Joe Biden is destroying America”. 

Even though the problem has just caught the eye of the people, the issue runs much deeper than a lack of Chick-fil-A sauce. 

Since last March, fast food restaurants have been struggling with serious economic problems revolving around labor shortages and high product demand. These problems have cumulated over time, ending with a serious effect on the country’s supply chain.

The recurring problem of high unemployment in America has affected the country’s economy now more than ever, as the outbreak of COVID-19 closed down hundreds of businesses. This shutdown led to the direct effect of a chicken shortage, as the demand for fast food increased during quarantine and industries lacked the transportation as well as a tool to keep up with the county’s eating habits.  

According to an article in CNN Business, the competition between fried chicken companies has created the resemblance of “chicken wars”, putting a strain on the poultry population. Major chains–including KFC, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Wingstop–are “paying steep prices” for chicken, and suppliers are having trouble keeping up demand because of difficulties attracting workers.

The response of each restaurant chain has varied, but the actions of the Chick-fil-A company have made a serious impression on the public. 

Chick-fil-A officials have agreed to limit the number of sauce packets each customer gets with a meal, varying the number from one to three depending on the size and quantity of each item or meal bought. 

In response to the crisis, Chick-fil-A hopes to restore the days of unlimited signature sauces, with one of their spokespeople announcing that they “are actively working to make adjustments to solve this issue quickly and apologize to guests for any inconvenience.”