Will potatoes disappear from that store?
"French fries" is an indispensable companion to hamburgers. However, in December last year, McDonald's temporarily restricted the sale of "McDonald's Potato". In January, Kentucky French Fries (KFC) also announced that it would suspend potato sales. I think the Potato fans were screaming.
In both cases, the protracted port labor-management negotiations on the west coast of the United States made it difficult to procure raw materials in a stable manner. Freight coming and going at the port is almost stagnant, making it difficult to import "potatoes" by sea. There are many ships waiting offshore without entering the port.
I suddenly wondered here. "I think potatoes will disappear from other stores as well ." So, among the major chain stores that sell hamburgers, in addition to Mac and Kentucky, I investigated the "potato circumstances" of Burger King (BK), Mos Burger, Freshness Burger, and Lotteria.
◆ McDonald's taking emergency measures
At McDonald's, sales were temporarily reduced in December, but sales in all sizes resumed from January 5. It seems that the prospect of procurement has been set by using air mail and sea mail from the east coast.
However, it is an emergency measure. It has not been fundamentally resolved. I'm still worried that the potatoes will disappear again.
◆ Kentucky Fried Chicken is no longer available for sale
Kentucky announced the suspension of potato sales on January 22nd. Looking at the menu on the website, the potatoes are disappearing from the set menu as well as the single item. Instead, coleslaw is included. From a health perspective, coleslaw may be better than potatoes, but ... it feels complicated.
There is a coleslaw at the potato position! (Source: KFC official website)
◆ Alternative product Burger King
It seems that Burger King has already offered "alternative potato products" since December.
The French fries "BK French Fries" at the same store were thin and had a little skin left. However, for the same reason, it became difficult to obtain, and alternatives are being offered from stores that are out of stock. The alternative is a thin type, but without skin. It's a shocking change for "skinned" fans.
"Potato with skin", comeback!
◆ Mos Burger is okay because it is made in Canada
According to Mos Burger, the country of origin of potatoes is "Canada and the United States." I don't think this is likely to be affected, but there are no notices of suspensions or restrictions. When I checked with a spokesperson, he said, "Most of the products are imported from Canada, so there is no impact on sales."
◆ Lotteria is also from Canada
Lotteria's "French fries" are mainly made from Canadian potato "Russet Burbank". There is no special notice here either, so it may not be affected as much as Mos Burger.
◆ Freshness Burger that has been “domestic” since its establishment
Freshness Burger French fries have been domestically produced since the company was founded in 1992. It seems that they use potatoes of a variety called "Hokkaido Kogane" cultivated at a contract farm in Hokkaido. Since it is not an import, it is unlikely to be directly affected by US labor-management negotiations.
The potatoes that were perfect for eating were potatoes from Hokkaido.
The results show that Mack, Kentucky, and Burger King, who import potatoes from the United States, are all affected. On the other hand, although it is imported, Mos Burger and Lotteria, which are mainly in Canada, have no effect so far. Freshness uses domestic potatoes, so it is unlikely to be directly affected.
Labor-management negotiations themselves seem to be moving toward a solution, but it seems that it will take some time before they are restored. Potatoes may disappear from stores other than hamburger chains. Do you want to go eat now or stock up on frozen french fries? If the familiar potatoes are "American", be careful!
