Customers Storm Popeyes With Gun After Being Told There Were No More Chicken Sandwiches, Leave Baby In Car
A man allegedly pulled a gun on employees of a Popeyes store yesterday because the chain had sold out of chicken sandwiches.
The suspect was allegedly with a group of people who are accused of flying into a collective rage and trying to storm the Houston-based restaurant shortly before 9 p.m. on Monday.
According to local media outlet KTRK, the mob of assailants, consisting of three men and two women, had initially visited the drive-thru in a black SUV. But after being informed of the lack of chicken sandwiches, they attempted to force their way into the restaurant and one man pulled a firearm. A member of staff was able to lock the group outside the premises.
A baby was reportedly in the vehicle at the time of the altercation, which occurred at a store on Scott Street. ABC 7 reported the baby remained inside the vehicle throughout the incident.
No-one was injured and police are working to identify the suspects. Much to the delight of social media, police confirmed the incident on Twitter, writing: “Southeast officers are at 7100 Scott. Male pulled a gun on employees of restaurant after they ran out of chicken sandwich.” The short post quickly went semi-viral, attracting more than 2,500 shares and over 3,000 likes.
Since it launched on August 12, the Popeyes chicken sandwich has been in hot demand. Its creation led to a war-of-words between rival brands, including Chick-fil-A and Wendy’s.
Public demand quickly outweighed supply, and Popeyes announced it had totally sold out of the chicken sandwich roughly two weeks later, on August 27. Only one day later, the brand’s account tweeted: “We hear y’all. We’re working to get The Sandwich back as soon as possible.”
In a statement describing the shortfall released last month, a spokesperson tried to calm the social media storm, writing: “The demand for the new Chicken Sandwich in the first few weeks following launch far exceeded our very optimistic expectations. Popeyes aggressively forecasted demand through the end of September and has already sold through that inventory.”
That explanation was not enough for some customers.
Last month, a citizen of one Tennessee city decided to sue Popeyes for running out of the sought-after food item. Craig Barr, of Chattanooga, accused the chain of deceptive business practices, false advertising and causing him humiliation.
According to local media, Barr alleged that he had been scammed out of $25 by a man on the internet who claimed he could obtain a chicken sandwich from a store. The man claimed he also suffered damages to his vehicle while driving between stores.
Barr, who says he is filing a case seeking $5,000, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press: “I can’t get happy. I have this sandwich on my mind. I can’t think straight. It just consumes you.”
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