The frenzied demand for a viral chicken sandwich has reached the judicial branch.On Wednesday, Craig Barr in East Ridge, Tennessee filed a civil summons — or a request to appear in Hamilton County court — against Popeyes Chicken, the fast-food joint that has stoked national debate and mayhem with its new chicken sandwich, a competitor to Chick-fil-A. His lawsuit came just one day after the chain announced it was officially sold out but would work to bring the sandwiches back soon.Still, back to Barr’s beef: “No chicken sandwich,” according to a complaint seen by WTVC, the local ABC affiliate. The chain had sold out, Barr found. He’s now asking for $5,000 from Popeyes, which could buy about 1,200 chicken sandwiches (if there were any).READ more: The backlash to the Popeyes chicken sandwich is finally hereHis first reaction wasn’t to head to the courts. When he was told the chicken sandwich was sold out, he returned multiple times to see if his fate would change.“Countless time waste drive to and from Popeyes,” Barr said in the complaint.He then went on Craigslist and found an ad — it’s no longer on the website, according to WTVC — that promised to sell him a Popeyes sandwich for $24. He paid up, but the Popeyes worker allegedly behind the “black list” sandwich ring didn’t fulfill his wish for the viral sandwich.The sandwich was introduced on Aug. 12 but went viral due to a tweet-turned-marketing blitz “feud” with Chick-fil-A last week. People then took to Twitter to defend their favorite chicken sandwich, and enthusiasts grew curious enough about Popeyes’ offerings to line up across the chain’s 2,400 locations, overwhelming employees and Popeyes’ dwindling chicken supply. It’s not yet clear how soon the sandwiches will return.Cover: This Aug. 21, 2019, photo, shows Popeye's new chicken sandwich, the spicy version, in New Rochelle, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Rubin)
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