Businesses lucky enough to survive the pandemic may have felt a sting in their business. Many businesses were forced to find ways to work under these crazy conditions. Businesses had to work with understaffing and lack of stock.
Restaurants were forced to focus on a smaller menu, with a smaller staff. Many restaurants resorted to carry out services only during covid to handle short staffing. The current staffing crisis still has many restaurants enduring these staffing and staff shortage types of challenges.
Consumers may be getting accustomed to not being able to get what they want, how they want it or even when they want it. That doesn’t make it any easier when you find out a favorite menu item is coming off the menu.
Chili's Removes a Staple Menu Item
Brinker International's (EAT) restaurant chain Chili's announced in October that it was dropping one of its menu items that it has had since the 1990's, the Original Chicken Crispers. The announcement by Chili's was met with little hit back, until it was picked up by a famous fan.
"Today Show," shocked by this news, shared it via its Twitter account on Dec. 9 and the news began to spread of the chicken's demise. "Our condolences to all the Chili's Original Chicken Crispers stans out there." We are just going to go ahead and assume 'stans' is just a typo for 'fans', "Today Show" tweeted.
Some fans have expressed their displeasure with the Original Chicken Crispers exit via a tweet, while others took it a step further and launched a petition get Chili's to not ax their beloved menu item. The reactions vary, but Chili's thought it would be a good idea to clarify that the Honey and Crispy Chicken Crispers will continue to be on the menu.
"I’m never going back to Chili's! Those were my favorite thing on the menu! Why get rid of a classic? Truly disappointing," an Original Chicken Crisper fan Ash tweeted.
"I ate the original chicken crispers since I was little and even work for chili’s for 4 years and I can say that Chili’s will never be the same without the OG crispers," another fan Jazzzz wrote.
Chili's Original Chicken Crispers are made with white chicken meat dipped in a tempura batter, then fried, and usually served up with a plate of french fries and your favorite dipping sauce. While Chili's guests are expressing their outrage, Chili's responded to the "Today Show" inquiry on why the Original Chicken Crispers have met this unfathomable fate, and Chili's said it came down to just simplifying its menu. Something we have seen from covid times with restaurants finding ways to just make the business run smoother and more efficiently.
No Chicken Stands Alone
While Chili's announced that it was dropping the Original Chicken Crispers, it would continue to have the Crispy and Honey Chicken Crispers on its menu. Chili's has dropped menu items before, but maybe this uproar is because of the expansion of social media.
Chili's also dropped its chicken fried steak early this century. The country fried steak elimination from the menu didn't come with as much resistance as the Original Chicken Crispers, but with enough hype about wanting it to come back, maybe Chili's will reconsider? The petition hasn't garnered many signatures, but the Twitter feedback may get Chili's attention, especially after the Today Show mention.
