The disruption is affecting around 50 out of its 400 restaurants. The company told BigHospitality's sister publication MCA that it would lend 70 staff “to support key suppliers and get things moving again.” Nando’s sites in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which have a unique customs arrangement due to Brexit, have not been affected.
Nando’s says the restaurant closures in England, Scotland and Wales are due to the national shortage of HGV drivers, as well as a staffing crisis and the impact of the “pingdemic”, which has forced supply workers to self-isolate after being alerted by the NHS Test & Trace app.
The company has advised customers that Nando’s, “will still be open for eat-in and collect in the UK, just check your local restaurant page to make sure it’s open before you visit.”
The Road Haulage Association has estimated there was a shortage of 100,000 HGV drivers, mainly because European Union workers had left the UK and due to the suspension of driver training and testing during the pandemic.
On Twitter, the company responded to customer feedback by saying: “The UK supply chain is having a bit of a ‘mare right now. This is having a knock-on effect with some of our restaurants across England, Scotland and Wales. We are doing everything we can to get the peri-peri back where it belongs – on your plates.”
The company also told MCA that its sites in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which have a unique customs arrangement due to Brexit, had not been affected.
Last week KFC said it was having supply issues, warning that some items would not be available and packaging “may look a bit different to normal”.
“There has been some disruption over the last few weeks, so things may be a little different when you next visit us,” the company said.