This Is Not a Drill: There’s an Unofficial Hot Cheetos Shortage and We’re Freaking Out
Much to the dismay of spicy snack lovers everywhere, there’s a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos shortage across the United States, and let’s just say fans of the chips are taking notice.
True Hot Cheetos lovers are known to grab a bag every time they hit a gas station or grocery store, even devising recipes including Flamin’ Hot mozzarella sticks, holiday-ready potatoes, and a fiery twist on tamales. As expected, this shortage has people freaking out, with hundreds of replies on one tweet about the news alone.
If you’ve noticed a lack of crispy, spicy, heavenly Hot Cheetos in your area, here’s everything you need to know.
Even though Frito Lay has not officially announced any kind of Hot Cheetos shortage, it’s safe to say regular buyers have been in on the debacle for months.
It all started in September when one Reddit user posted about not being able to find Xxtra Flamin’ Hot Cheetos anywhere in Sacramento. Another user echoed the sentiment in October, saying both Xxtra and the lime varieties were sold out everywhere. Comments came flooding in, with one replying “I feel like the Xxtra Hot ones are getting harder to find,” another saying “I haven’t seen the lime & regular hot ones in like 3 weeks,” and yet another user posting, both regular flaming hot and xxtra hot cheetos are out at the Krogers, Walmarts, and HEB’s in Houston.”
There was clearly something fishy going on, and now the shortage seems to be getting worse.
People have also taken to Twitter to vent their frustration at not being able to find their favorite spicy chips, and let’s just say they’re not holding back. One user speaks for all of us when writing:
Oh, we get you. Others are just hearing the news now, which is the last straw in a year que no tiene ni pies ni cabeza:
We are definitely grieving in Spanish, English, y cualquier otro idioma. So what’s the reason behind it? Redditors are suspecting that it has something to do with the Frito Lay workers strike back in summer 2021, which although ended back in late July, might still affect current supplies.
Even worse? There’s apparently a chicken tender shortage, too, with Today reporting complications in the global supply chain.
While these Hot Cheetos and chicken tender shortages are las gotas que derraman el vaso for anyone who can’t wait for 2021 to be over, it’s not our first rodeo when it comes to not finding the products we want. As explained by Eat This, Costco continues to face shortages and limit sales on products ranging from olive oil, to cleaning supplies, to necessities like water. While not being able to find toilet paper is admittedly scarier, we still need our Flamin’ Hot Cheetos back ahora mismo.
