French Fright: McDonald’s Indonesia halts sales of large fries due to potato shortage

Indonesia joined Japan and Malaysia in the list of Asian countries in which McDonald’s have been forced to take the large french fries off their menu due to supply shortage. Photo: McDonald’s Indonesia
Indonesia joined Japan and Malaysia in the list of Asian countries in which McDonald’s have been forced to take the large french fries off their menu due to supply shortage. Photo: McDonald’s Indonesia

It’s a sad day for french fries enthusiasts in Indonesia, as McDonald’s recently announced that they have to limit the sales of the crowd’s favorite side dish due to supply shortage starting today.

“Due to the limited availability of french fries at this time, the Large French Fries will be temporarily unavailable starting Feb. 2. But don’t worry McD’ers, you can still enjoy your favorite menu item with the Medium French Fries,” McDonald’s Indonesia wrote in a tweet, followed up with another tweet promising an update as soon as potato supply is back to normal.

The french fries are only available in small and medium sizes nationwide for the time being.

Indonesia joined Japan and Malaysia in the list of Asian countries in which McDonald’s have been forced to take the large french fries off their menu. Japan’s McDonald’s has been selling only small french fries since at least December, while Malaysia only started to sell the regular and medium portions starting last week.

McDonald’s Indonesia’s spokesperson, Sutji Lantyka, explained that the potato fry-sis is caused by global disruptions to spud supply delivery.

“This is due to the delivery constraints of potato supplies related to the COVID-19 pandemic. But we can assure you that McDonald’s will continue to take proactive measures to meet the consumer demand,” Sutji said.

According to McDonald’s Indonesia’s website, the chains here use North American potato varieties Russet Burbank and Shepody, which they say are known for producing “a flavorful fry that’s crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.”



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