Wendy’s is announcing that locations all over the United States are temporarily removing burgers from its menu due to a shortage of meat amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement to Restaurant Business, the fast-food chain explained that there will be beef shortages at some of its 5,800 restaurant locations, nationwide. Wendy’s also noted that the menu change is expected to be temporary.
“Some of our menu items may be in short supply from time to time at some restaurants in this current environment,” Wendy’s said in a statement to the publication. “We expect this to be temporary, and we’re working diligently to minimize the impact to our customers and restaurants.”
The shortage comes at a time where meat prices are steadily rising due to production declines as a result of the coronavirus. According to David Maloni, executive vice president of analytics at Arrowstream, meat production is currently 25% lower than last year’s output.
Maloni also noted the supply and demand problem that is contributed to the price-hikes — “50% beef trim.”
Since most fast-food chains purchase “50% beef trim and 90% lean beef” to better control the quality and consistency of their products, the price for 50% beef trim has soared in grocery stores due to scarcity.
As of April 1, 50% beef trimmings were approximately $0.25/pound. Now it averages around $1.93/pound, which is the highest its been since May 2017.
For many fast-food chains or restaurant businesses that rely on never-frozen beef programs, the trimmings will likely be hard to come by in the coming months.
“If you’re in a never-frozen beef program, you can’t get ahead of this in any great way,” Maloni said. “It’s not just QSR. It’s casual dining or anybody who’s selling a lot of hamburgers.”
Wendy’s announcement follows a string of reports warning about the possibility of a meat shortages due to the abrupt closure of several meat processing plants due to coronavirus large outbreaks among employees.
As a result of the pandemic, some of the nation’s largest meat processing plants and slaughterhouses — including Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods, JBS, and Cargill — had opted to shutter their doors.
Shortly after, President Donald Trump signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to reopen meat plants despite the sizable coronavirus outbreaks, as previously reported on IJR.
Now, plants are working with public health officials on state and local levels to develop safety plans and protocols for reopening in order to combat the impending meat shortages.