We all helped Popeyes win the great chicken sandwich war, but at what cost?

The fried chicken chain announced on social media Tuesday that its instantly iconic chicken sandwich -- for which fans have been lining up in droves since it debuted last week -- has sold out completely.

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SEE ALSO:There's a fast food chicken sandwich war and we have declared the winner

Never fear, though: Popeyes promises the sandwich will return "soon," and that when it does, it will be a permanent part of the menu. (Isn't that what we were promised in the first place? Whatever.) We have a feeling Popeyes isn't really sweating the shortage -- all the sandwich buzz gave the company about $23 million in free press.

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Tweet may have been deleted

Tweet may have been deleted

On Twitter, people were mad, which is somewhat understandable: Because of long lines and high demand, a lot of Popeyes fans haven't gotten a chance to try the sandwich yet. However, as Vice pointed out in a story this week, the backlash to the sandwich had begun even before it sold out, particularly as Popeyes workers felt the strain of the sandwich's popularity without reaping any of the financial benefits.

There's no official return date for the sandwich, but the video announcement suggests downloading the Popeyes app to keep abreast of any sandwich updates. Thank you, brand. We will.

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