Not-so fast-food restaurant chains Sonic and Raising Cane’s are experiencing product shortages due to system outage affecting distributor company Ben E Keith
- Affected restaurants include the Louisiana chicken chain and drive-thru option
- For an explanation, staffers cited a system ‘outage’ at Texas based Ben E. Keith
- Both eateries have apologized for delays, blaming them on ‘supply chain issues’
Texans looking for a meal at two prominent fast food eateries were left out of luck over the weekend, as several restaurants suffered temporary closures and item shortages due to a suspected system hack affecting its distributor.
Affected restaurants include Louisiana based chicken chain Raising Cane’s and stalwart drive-thru option Sonic, both of which sported signage Sunday confirming that they were either closed or experiencing scarcity of certain ingredients.
As for an explanation, staffers cited an ‘outage’ currently being felt at Fort-Worth based Ben E. Keith, which on Monday issued a statement confirming issues with their systems, that left trucks unable to make deliveries for days.
Several looking for a simple meal of chicken fingers – or a refreshing Sonic Blast – were subsequently met with sadness on Sunday, greeted with closed doors instead of the usual red-shirt clad staffers, with little explanation.
Both companies have since apologized for the delays and shortages, blaming them on missed deliveries and supply chain issues.
Texans looking for a meal at the famed chicken joint were left out of luck over the weekend, as several restaurants suffered temporary closures due to suspected hack of its distributor
Renowned drive-thru option Sonic, meanwhile, was also affected, offering customers apologetic messages Sunday saying they were short certain ingredients
The weekend saw several Cane’s across the Lone Star state shuttered, while digital signs seen on Sonic Drive-In screens bore apologetic messages notifying diners that some of their favorite menu items were not available ‘due to nationwide supply issues.’
Unlike Cane’s, Sonic has yet to confirm whether the shortages stem from its distributor’s recent system outage, which occurred over the weekend but was only confirmed by Ben E. Keith on Monday.
In a statement, the company said it had shut down systems in response to ‘unusual activity’ on its network, while apologizing to customers and business partners that may be affected.
Missing from the statement, however, was a cause for the company’s crisis – which may still be ongoing.
Shortly thereafter, Cane’s addressed the issue in its own statement Monday, after citizens across the southern state – home to nearly a third of all Cane’s’ locations – took to social media to question why their favorite fast-food joint was closed.
As for an explanation, staffers cited an ‘outage’ currently being felt at Fort-Worth based Ben E. Keith, which on Monday issued a statement confirming issues with their systems, that left trucks unable to make deliveries for days
The statement was aired in an article published Monday by San Antonio outlet KENS5, and insisted brass at the chicken chain were working hard to obtain the supplies it needs to satisfy customers.
‘We are working hard to get the products we need as quickly as possible, so we can continue serving our San Antonio Caniacs the chicken finger meals they are craving!’ the company said, shortly after the Ben E. Keith revelation.
‘We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused for our customers,’ the statement added, electing to not reference its embattled distributor directly.
Customers, however, are still hungry for an explanation – with several taking to social media to ask about the holdup.
‘Nothing but “we are closed” sign[sic] on the door,’ San Antonio resident Pepper Patterson wrote in a post to Facebook Monday.
