(WWJ/AP) Customers pulling up to the drive-thru at Wendy's restaurants in Michigan are being told they're out of beef.
Metro Detroiters who tried ordering burgers at several Wendy's locations, including in Warren and Detroit, reported on social media that burgers are off the menu for the time being.
WWJ Newsradio 950 confirmed that only chicken sandwiches, nuggets, fries and othe sides were available when ordering Wendy's via DoorDash and GrubHub in the Detroit area on Tuesday.
In a statement obtained by USA TODAY, Wendy's confirmed that some menu items may be "temporarily limited" at some restaurants.
"It is widely known that beef suppliers across North America are currently facing production challenges," said Wendy's in the statement. "We continue to supply hamburgers to all of our restaurants, with deliveries two or three times a week, which is consistent with normal delivery schedules. However, some of our menu items may be temporarily limited at some restaurants in this current environment. We're working diligently to minimize the impact to our customers and restaurants, and continue to work with our supplier partners to monitor this closely."
This comes as the Associated Press is reporting U.S. meat supplies are dwindling due to coronavirus-related production shutdowns, leading to Costco, Kroger and Wendy's limiting sales.
Just over 1,000 Wendy's restaurants — or nearly 20% — had no beef items available on their online menus Monday night, according to an analysis by Stephens Inc., an investment bank. Stephens analyst James Rutherford said some states, like Michigan, Ohio and New York, seemed to be impacted more than others.
U.S. beef and pork processing capacity are down 40% from last year, according to Jayson Lusk, head of the department of agricultural economics at Purdue University. Multiple U.S. meatpacking facilities have closed in the last two weeks due to coronavirus outbreaks among workers.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order last week requiring meatpacking plants to stay open, and some are gradually going back on line. In the meantime consumers will likely see some shortages and higher prices for beef and pork, Lusk said. Poultry production has also been impacted, but to a lesser degree.
Costco, Sam's Club and Kroger are limiting purchases of meat to avoid panic buying. Kroger Co., which also owns Ralphs and Harris Teeter markets in other states, said it wants to ensure buyers have a broad assortment.
Kroger is only limiting purchases of ground beef and fresh pork for now.
"There is plenty of protein in the supply chain. However, some processors are experiencing challenges," Kroger said in a statement.
Meanwhile, some companies — including Target and McDonald's — have no restrictions in place. McDonald's said last week it has seen no supply interruptions because it uses a wide variety of suppliers.
