Fried chicken is the latest nationwide shortage

The supply of Americans' beloved fried chicken is wilting under soaring demand.

The big picture: Viral demand for fried chicken sandwiches, tenders and wings has spiked so much that it's causing a nationwide shortage.

• Supply is tight at KFC, Bojangles and McDonald's, Bloomberg reports.

What's happening: Popeyes' chicken sandwiches in 2019 launched a new craze, with many imitators.

• Then the COVID-19 shutdowns at meat-processing plants caused supply interruptions and complications.

Between the lines: America's insatiable demand for chicken could be an opening for fake meat companies.

• Grocery sales of fake meat were already rising amid the pandemic.
• Poultry is much harder to mimic than ground beef or sausage, but fake meat company Beyond Meat says its plant-based chicken is coming soon.