Japan's French Fries Crisis Couldn't Come at a Worse Time
A shortage of potatoes is just the latest setback for McDonald's and KFC in the world's third-largest economy
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Japan is in the middle of a French fries shortage—and it couldn't come at a worse time for fast-food giants like McDonald's and KFC already battling health scandals and an economy forcing consumers to tighten the purse strings.
KFC on Thursday said it would halt sales of fries at its 1,163 Japanese outlets, just weeks after McDonald's started rationing by barring customers from buying larger portions. Restaurants can't get enough potatoes because of a labor dispute at West Coast ports in the U.S.