GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) — Legend Larry's is a Wisconsin-based wings eatery with four locations from Green Bay to Sheboygan. Owner and founder Larry Schaefer says it's been a struggle to consistently obtain chicken wings from rotating suppliers.
While there are many factors impacting the chicken wing supply chain currently, the issue began when takeout and delivery food services spiked dramatically during the onset of the pandemic.
"During the pandemic, everyone went to to-go, dine-out" Schafer said. "With that, the demand rose, because a lot of places started doing chicken wings. Chicken wings and pizza travel really well, they hold up well."
"It's been tough, like every industry, every business out there," Schaefer said. "We had one instance during March Madness of last year that we actually ran out."
That was the first time in more than 20 years of business that Schaefer had ran out of wings.
While that was jarring, the bigger problem Schaefer faces is the rising price of wings. Schaefer says he's seen a 66 percent increase over the past two years. To stay in business, he had to raise consumer prices by approximately 15-20 percent.
"You like to give your the best value and the best price that you can, but you still want to stay in business, right?" Schaefer said.
According to USA Today, the harsh 2020 winter season in Texas and other poultry-driven states resulted in a 4% decrease in the amount of chickens prepared for the first six months of 2021. Additionally, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the price per pound for whole chicken rose 16 cents from 2019 to 2021, double the amount it rose from 2018 to 2019. While the price decreased again in 2021, the limited chicken supply was exacerbated by the mass power outage in Texas due to Hurricane Nicholas. Schaefer says he's seen some relief lately.
"I do see chicken prices coming down currently, but I've also heard from other people that's short-lived, and that's scary," Schaefer said.
