Out of cluck: Popeyes chicken sandwich sells out after just two weeks

<span>Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters</span>
Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

For just over two weeks, it was all anyone could talk about: Popeyes’ chicken sandwich.

People lined up around the block for it. Writers wrote think piece after think piece about it. Social media lit up with memes featuring it.

Related: Bona-fried success: why are Americans obsessed with Popeyes' new chicken sandwich?

And just like that, it was gone. The company announced Tuesday that it had “sold out” of the sandwiches “for now”.

“You ate ‘em ALL,” the company wrote in a video. “Legit proud of you.” It added that fans can sign up for the Popeyes app to know when it’s available again.

In a statement, the fried chicken chain said it “aggressively” forecasted demand through the end of September, but has sold out of that inventory since officially launching on 12 August. Restaurants across the country are expected to sell out by the end of the week.

People had questions.

Others mourned.

More took the end of the chicken sandwich as a time to reignite the feud with Chick-fil-A.

It was fun while it lasted.

As of Tuesday it remained unclear when the chicken sandwich would return. Popeyes’ Twitter video states that “they’ll be back soon”.