The new Popeyes sandwich is so popular you can’t get it anywhere. Which is a shame, because it’s 100 percent less homophobic than Chick-Fil-A.
If you’ve been waiting for the lines to go down before you tried the new Popeyes’ chicken sandwich, you’ve waited too long. At least for now. On Tuesday, Popeyes released an official announcement on their Twitter account, saying they’d run out of their stock of chicken sandwiches… everywhere in the country.
While not every location was necessarily out at the time the statement was released, a Popeyes statement said that the supply they’d expected to last through the end of September was already gone. “As a result, Popeyes restaurants across the country are expected to sell out of the Chicken Sandwich by the end of this week,” the statement read.
If you’ve driven by any Popeyes around town over the past two weeks since the sandwich was released, you’re sure to have noticed the lines out the door, packed parking lots, and drive-thru lines snaking out onto the street. For my wife and I, this was enough to keep us away. But it hasn’t deterred many others, who effusively praised the sandwich on social media.
I'm joining the debate and happy to say I'm team @PopeyesChicken pic.twitter.com/12lZQzD81q
— Carly Behm (@cb_journo) August 21, 2019
I can confirm, without a fraction of a doubt, that this is a chicken sandwich fit for a God. The hype is real. 10/10 🔥 @PopeyesChicken pic.twitter.com/fyQauNOZYh
— Ava Alfonso (@AvaAlfonso) August 20, 2019
There were even incidents of people using food-delivery apps and having their orders stolen by delivery people.
My order with two spicy chicken sandwiches was 'cancelled' after they picked it up? I was really ready for that sandwich too. I was so mad.
— Jasmine Guerrero (@jasminerosariog) August 18, 2019
Of course, the fact that Americans just love a chicken sandwich — and this Popeyes take on the classic fast-food item really is widely considered delicious — is a big part of this viral explosion. But it seems clear that people wanting an alternative to Chick-Fil-A’s proudly homophobic religious conservatism has played a big role as well.
popeyes chicken sandwich checklist:
— Brownies & Lemonade (@TeamBandL) August 21, 2019
☑️ thiccer
☑️ saucier
☑️ crispier
☑️ cheaper
☑️ softer buns
☑️ better pickles
☑️ not homophobic
☑️ available on sunday
sorry not sorry chick-fil-a
s/o @hikeii pic.twitter.com/3I7CUzxor8
I had the Popeyes chicken sandwich the other day, and I can assure you that it tastes 5,000% less homophobic than Chick-fil-A's.
— Dennis DiClaudio (@dennisdiclaudio) August 26, 2019
how are we even debating whether chick-fil-a or popeyes is better when one fast food chain is actively donating money to anti-lgbt causes and the other one is not like???? do you want the homophobic chicken or the not homophobic chicken it’s that easy
— sydney 🌐✨ (@clarabellecows) August 22, 2019
And it makes sense — after the big kerfuffle over the Muppets pulling out of a deal with Chick-Fil-A due to their monetary support for anti-LGBTQ groups, the restaurant became a bit of a cause celebre on the right. And the restaurant has embraced that status, with the head of their charity division, Rodney Bullard, telling Business Insider earlier this year that “There’s a calling to help people, and I think at times that has been confused with a calling, somehow, to exclude,” and that “help[ing] every child” is “a much higher calling than any political or cultural war.”
This, even as their donations continue to go toward well-known anti-LGBTQ groups like the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes, who require their athletes to sign a purity pledge that forbids any form of non-heterosexual sex; and the Family Research Council, a Southern Poverty Law Center-certified anti-LGBTQ hate group.
Members and allies of the LGBTQ community have been seeking alternatives to Chick-Fil-A’s (admittedly tasty) chicken sandwich for quite a while now, and locally, Cobra Cabana’s Gay-Fil-A Sunday special has been a big hit. But the arrival of a non-homophobic fast food chicken sandwich is certainly always wonderful to see.
And for the record, Popeyes mostly stay out of politics, but Showbiz Cheat Sheet has reported that their chairman gives to Democratic politicians in Florida and is involved with the National Stem Cell Foundation. To the extent that they have a political record, it’s solidly liberal.
So whether you tried their briefly available chicken sandwich and loved it or are still waiting for the crowds to die down, let’s all hope that Popeyes gets that chicken sandwich back into its restaurants ASAP. Because as we all know, every time Chick-Fil-A loses a sale, an LGBTQ angel gets their wings.
Top Image via Popeyes/Twitter