Chicken Wings Shortage Sees Prices Rise in Restaurants Across U.S.
On 5/12/21 at 11:17 AM EDT
A chicken wing shortage has forced restaurants across the U.S. to increase their prices as suppliers are running low on the popular appetizer.
The shortage has been brewing for months, for various reasons, including an increase in demand for wings during the pandemic and a lack of production workers.
Restaurant owner Jason Esterkamp said a labor shortage means that chicken processing plants do not have the workforce to open all their lines. He told WXYZ Detroit: All I can tell you is that wings are hard to come by, and they are extremely expensive.
For James Parker, owner of Big Daddy s Homeplate Barbeque in Haverstraw, the rising chicken prices have forced him to raise prices of wings. We re so small every dime counts, Parker said. Thank God the community is doing well but we need the support in order to make it. So far it s been looking up, but trying to get out of the hole COVID put us in and now we re dealing with this, it s unbelievable.
Parker knows the community is aware of the rising cost and added that they haven t seen an increased demand in wings. We re about at our average wing customers, Parker said. For the community, come out and support as much as possible.