Typhoon forces fried chicken shop to sell off massive food surplus at deep discounts

Typhoon Barway's arrival in Taiwan led to unexpected chaos for a popular fried chicken chain, Shi Yuan, resulting in a massive food giveaway and subsequent apology from the store's management. As the storm approached, delivery platforms like Foodpanda and UberEats automatically suspended all orders late Tuesday night. This abrupt shutdown left a significant amount of pre-prepared food undelivered and facing disposal.

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Mr. Jiang, sorry, we ate your Shi Yuan.

Faced with the prospect of discarding a large volume of unsold fried chicken and side dishes, the store decided to sell off the food at a heavily discounted price. Customers who arrived late were able to purchase bags of food, originally valued at NT$461, for just NT$150. One fortunate customer shared their find online, sparking a lively discussion about the "surprise bags."

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Because the holiday delivery platform system automatically closed all orders at 11 p.m., the previously prepared orders had no delivery drivers, meaning they all had to be scrapped. Because the store was about to close, and customers still wanted to buy fried chicken, the auntie at the store said to sell them cheaply and let them choose themselves.

The store owner later addressed the situation online, explaining the circumstances and apologizing for the disorganized sale. They clarified that the intention was to give the food away for free, not to profit from the situation. The owner expressed gratitude to the customers who purchased the discounted food, acknowledging the wastefulness of discarding it. The remaining food was reportedly given to delivery drivers. The owner emphasized that the store should have received payment from the delivery platforms for the canceled orders and that the staff's actions were a result of confusion and anxiety over the impending waste. They encouraged customers who bought the discounted food to seek refunds.

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We are very grateful to the customers who were willing to buy. It is a pity to waste food. The rest was given to the delivery drivers.