Waffle House has begun an egg surcharge, reflecting an industry under strain. As long as bird flu outbreaks continue and millions of birds are culled, high prices and extra charges at restaurants are likely to stay.
Key Facts:
- Waffle House added the surcharge on February 3 across its roughly 2,100 locations.
- The chain cites the ongoing bird flu outbreak, which began in 2022, as a chief factor behind higher egg prices.
- Bird flu infections have affected around 150 million poultry in all 50 states, per the CDC.
- Waffle House serves approximately 272 million eggs per year, more than double its annual waffle sales.
The Rest of The Story:
Waffle House says the new charge allows them to keep serving eggs, rather than removing them from the menu or raising prices across all items.
The chain hopes the surcharge can be lifted once egg prices stabilize.
The overall egg market remains volatile.
Between December 2023 and December 2024, the cost of a dozen Grade A eggs rose by 65% nationwide, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Factors like the ongoing bird flu outbreak, inflation, and changing regulations have contributed to the price jump, leaving both grocery shoppers and breakfast fans facing higher bills.
Commentary:
This surcharge could be the first of many similar moves by restaurants.
The White House has blamed the Biden administration for the current situation, stating that farms have been forced to kill over 100 million chickens when even a single bird tests positive for avian flu.
"As far as the egg shortage, what's contributing to that is that the Biden administration and the DOA directed the mass killing of more than 100M chickens, which led to a lack of supply in this country, lack of egg supply, leading to the shortage." 🫳🎤
pic.twitter.com/hRiPuQakDt— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) January 28, 2025
This approach has significantly reduced the poultry population, which experts say contributes to widespread egg shortages. It may take quite some time for egg producers to replenish their flocks.
Once a farm culls its birds, it must start from scratch to breed and hatch new layers, which does not happen overnight. Consumers should not expect an immediate fix to these escalating prices or shortages.
The situation also creates uncertainty for restaurants that rely heavily on eggs.
Waffle House’s surcharge could encourage others, such as Waffle Barn or similar breakfast chains, to adopt a comparable measure.
Until the poultry industry recovers, many businesses may view added charges as the only way to balance customer demand with rising costs.
The Bottom Line:
Waffle House’s egg surcharge reflects an industry under strain.
As long as bird flu outbreaks continue and millions of birds are culled, high prices and extra charges at restaurants are likely to stay.
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