Whataburger Woes
No late night taquitos for you: Egg shortage limits breakfast hours at Whataburger
It's late. 1 a.m. Maybe later. A combination of alcohol and an early dinner is fueling an insatiable hunger that must be sated to ensure slumber. Only one solution will do: The orange sign beckons in the darkness. Two bacon, egg and cheese taquitos are just the thing to soothe the beast within and ward off a hangover.
Sadly, this familiar ritual has been momentarily put on pause. Fast food chain Whataburger announced Sunday that it will limit breakfast hours to 5 a.m. until 9 a.m. during the week and 5 a.m. until 11 a.m. on weekends due to a nationwide egg shortage. Blame a particularly nasty bout of avian flu for the shortage; according to the Los Angeles Times, it's killed 43 million chickens in 15 states since mid-December.
Many are comparing the sudden loss to the disappearance of Blue Bell ice cream as a one-two punch to the gut of Texas dining staples.
Whataburger's hours are unaffected by this change, which means diners can simply get a burger or chicken fingers to satisfy those late night cravings, although clearly it won't be the same. Also, while the shortage potentially limits one's breakfast options at Whataburger, it's important not to panic. The sainted Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit, major subject of this Ode to Whataburger, is not served with eggs.
Of course, reaction on social media has been strongly negative. A Facebook post about the change has garnered over 500 comments with many people comparing the sudden loss to the disappearance of Blue Bell ice cream as a one-two punch to the gut of Texas dining staples. Thankfully, Dr Pepper production remains steady.
Meanwhile, the company is doing everything it can to ensure the disruption is a temporary one. "Whataburger is working closely with our egg suppliers to do everything in our power to replenish our egg supply as soon as possible," the company writes. "It’s important to know this is a supply issue and not a health safety issue. We’re sorry for the inconvenience this may cause some of our customers, and we hope to return to our normal breakfast operations soon."
Deep breaths everyone. Hopefully, this will all be over soon.