Imagine that in a McDonald’s in Tokyo or Okinawa, with your burger, you can only order a small portion of fries, the riquiqui. Forget the average, the large, the XXL: you are rationed! In the 2,900 restaurants that the American brand has in the archipelago, there is no longer enough stock. The restrictions started at Christmas and will last until the beginning of February 2022. Other local chains, such as Mos Burger or Lotteria, also recognize that the situation is tense.
This shortage is one of the basic, simple consequences of globalization (Orelsan could have made a song of it). In Japan, french fries McDonald’s are imported from the United States and Canada. The potatoes are processed and frozen there before being shipped through the Port of Vancouver. However, in recent weeks, western Canada has experienced exceptional weather, many logistics sites have been flooded, the supply chain has been very disrupted, not to mention the disorganization linked to Covid. Japan was unable to import its usual quantities.
However, potatoes are produced in Japan. Not a lot, and at fairly high rates. But the small Japanese fast food chains that buy from local producers have had no problem.
25%増量ポテト
By FRESHNESSBURGER pic.twitter.com/OYaXxHaDk0—Rana (@Rana_3939) January 17, 2022
Freshness Burger, which works with operators in Hokkaido and sources hokkai kogane, a variety featured on its site as “Created especially for fries. Crispy outside, soft inside”, even had fun with a nice advertising campaign. Until February 27, it offers its customers 25% more fries for the same price. History to capture the disappointed customers of its competitors.
Kenya is going through exactly the same thing. On January 3, the KFC chain, which imports its potatoes from Egypt and South Africa, even ran out of stock. However, Kenya cultivates a lot of potatoes, it is even the second crop in the country after maize, more than 3.5 million people live from it.
At #Kenya , the restaurant chain #KFC at the heart of reviews on the web, under the hashtag #BoycottKFC, after a shortage of french fries pic.twitter.com/vWeOG19zEk
— FRANCE 24 French (@France24_fr) January 6, 2022
KFC had to justify itself, explaining that if it imported its merchandise, it was because the local producers were not well organized and above all not up to its quality standards. Kenyans were upset, a call for a boycott of the sign has spread massively on social networks. To the point that KFC has finally promised to initiate discussions to find the benefits of short circuits.