Nando’s stores are expected to reopen from Saturday after disruption this week caused over 50 of their restaurants - including their Liverpool locations - to be closed.
Around 50 of the afro-Portuguese inspired chain’s stores have closed across the UK due to staff shortages with their suppliers resulting in a lack of chicken.
Currently, the Queen Square and Liverpool ONE stores both show as closed on the restaurant’s website.
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A number of branches across Merseyside and beyond have shown as “unavailable” online over the past week. These have included: Liverpool ONE, Queen's Square, Bromborough, Aintree, Speke, Cheshire Oaks, St Helens, and Widnes.
In a tweet, Nando’s described the situation as “a bit of a mare” and apologised for the “disappointment”
A Nando's spokesperson said on Wednesday: "The UK food industry has been experiencing disruption across its supply chain in recent weeks due to staff shortages and Covid isolations, and a number of our restaurants have been impacted."
"However, since Monday, a team of our brilliant Nandocas have been supporting our key suppliers onsite - working in partnership to help get things moving again, and this has already had a positive impact on affected restaurants."
It is expected that the South American owned company will be able to reopen all their closed stores over the weekend, allowing customers in Liverpool to get their peri-peri chicken fix once again.
According to the BBC, Nando’s have lent 90 members of staff to their suppliers in an attempt to “get things moving” again.
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Nando’s operates more than 400 restaurants across the UK and has two locations within Liverpool city centre
The recent so-called ‘pingdemic’ has been noted as the cause behind a large number of suppliers suffering from staff shortages in recent weeks.
The number of people having to self-isolate has previously caused some supermarkets to report empty shelves due to a lack of products making their way to stores.
It is expected that this week's changes to self-isolation rules, which mean that people who have been double vaccinated no longer need to isolate if coming into contact with someone positive for Coronavirus, should help ease pressure on a number of businesses.
Nando’s aren’t the first food chain in Liverpool to be affected by staff shortages in the last month.
KFC announced last week that their customers may find “some items aren’t available” due to “disruption over the last few weeks.”
