New York (CNN) � The soaring price of eggs has forced Waffle House to add a temporary surcharge on customers� orders.
The Georgia-based chain is adding a 50-cent charge per egg because of the “nationwide rise in cost of eggs,� according to signs posted at its restaurants. An aggressive strain of avian flu is hurting supply and causing prices to rise � with .
“The continuing egg shortage caused by HPAI (bird flu) has caused a dramatic increase in egg prices,� Waffle House said in the statement to CNN. “Customers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions.�
Waffle House, which has about 2,100 locations, added in the statement that it’s “continuously monitoring egg prices and will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.�
Waffle House serves 272 million eggs per year, making it the chain’s most-ordered item, surpassing hash browns (153 million) and even waffles (124 million), according to its .
The egg price increase is “especially hard for breakfast-focused restaurants to manage,� the National Restaurant Association said in a statement, adding that prices have risen nearly 40% in the past year.
“When shortages like this happen, operators work closely with their food suppliers to determine how it will impact them,� said Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of public affairs at the National Restaurant Association. “There are several options operators consider, from changing their menus to increasing their prices.�
Avian flu has been plaguing farmers and the egg supply since January 2022, resulting in 108 million birds since then � 75 million of those were laying eggs � being slaughtered, according to the .
However, the outbreak has gotten worse in late 2024 because of a resurgence of the virus. Roughly 17 million egg-laying hens were killed in in November and December, which is nearly half of all birds killed by the virus in 2024, according to the USDA.
The average price of a dozen large grade-A eggs, which Waffle House uses, was $4.15 in December � up from $3.65 in November � according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
And the cost of eggs will only get worse this year, with prices forecasted to increase 20%, the USDA said.
“Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we’re in this for a while,� said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board. “Until we have time without a detection, unfortunately this very, very tight egg supply is going to continue.�
The-CNN-Wire
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