Waffle House adds 50 cent surcharge per egg
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First/AP) - Soaring egg prices are hitting Waffle House customers starting Monday.
The Norcross-based diner chain is now temporarily charging 50 cents per egg, according to a statement it released Monday.
“The continuing egg shortage caused by HPAI (bird flu) has caused a dramatic increase in egg prices,” Waffle House said in the statement. “Customers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions. We are continuously monitoring egg prices and will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.”
What is going on with the price of eggs?
The average price per dozen of eggs nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That’s not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts prices are going to soar another 20% this year.
Shoppers in some parts of the country are already paying more than double the average price, or worse, finding empty shelves in their local grocery stores. Organic and cage-free varieties are even more expensive.
Some grocery stores have even limited how many eggs shoppers can buy.
The bird flu outbreak that started in 2022 is the main reason egg prices are up so much.
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Anytime the virus is found on a poultry farm, the entire flock is slaughtered to help limit the virus’ spread. And with massive egg farms routinely housing more than 1 million chickens, just a few infections can cause a supply crunch.
The problem tends to linger because it takes months to dispose of all the carcasses, disinfect barns and bring in new birds.
More than 145 million chickens, turkeys and other birds have been slaughtered since the current outbreak began, with the vast majority of them being egg-laying chickens.
Cage-free egg laws in 10 states may also be responsible for some supply disruptions and price increases. The laws set minimum space for chickens or cage-free requirements for egg-laying hens. They’ve already gone into effect in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Michigan. At a Target in Chicago on Monday, a dozen large conventional eggs cost $4.49 but a dozen large cage-free eggs were selling for $6.19.
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