- The rise in the cost of eggs is forcing Waffle House to add a surcharge to each egg ordered. The surcharge will be 50 cents per egg.
- Waffle House said the surcharge is temporary and will consider eliminating or adjusting the surcharge as egg prices change.
- The U.S. supply of eggs has been impacted by avian flu since 2022, which has caused prices to soar.
The soaring price of eggs is forcing Waffle House to raise prices for its most popular item. The popular breakfast chain said it’s temporarily adding a 50-cent surcharge per egg because of the “nationwide cost of eggs.”
The bird flu is currently straining the supply of eggs in the U.S. and as a result, causing prices to rise.
Waffle House operates roughly 2,100 locations across the United States and said it is “continuously monitoring egg prices.” The company also said it “will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.”
How many eggs are impacted?
According to CNN, Waffle House serves 272 million eggs per year, and it is the restaurant’s most ordered item.
Avian flu has been impacting farmers and the nation’s egg supply since January of 2022, causing 108 million to be slaughtered, including 75 million egg-laying birds, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Will it get any better anytime soon?
The outbreak of avian flu has only gotten worse since then. In 2024, the virus led to around 17 million egg-laying hens being slaughtered between November and December.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the average price for a dozen large grade-A eggs, which are the kind Waffle House serves, was $4.15 in December 2024, which is up from $3.65 in November 2024.
The CEO of the American Egg Board warned that as bird flu continues to spread, the egg supply, and therefore prices, will continue to be impacted.
