Waffle House adds surcharge as egg prices soar

The high price of eggs is having *** wide impact, and consumers' wallets are hurting. Restaurants are having to find ways to balance out the soaring increase in prices. We spoke to Old Richmond Grill, *** locally owned business, about how it's impacting their bottom line. Saturday we'll go through 4 or 500 eggs with no problem at all. It's *** business that's been brewing up breakfast for around 70 years. If we don't have eggs, we don't have *** breakfast menu. Uh, in my eyes, I mean breakfast is eggs. Old Richmond Grill on Reinaldo Road in Potown has drawn in breakfast and lunch customers throughout the Piedmont Triad since 1955. I can remember when you used to buy *** case of eggs for $30 and you'll never see that again, unfortunately. This is the first time the owners who took the business over in 2012 have ever seen egg prices this high. In the last 13 years, prices have gone up by more than $100. I'm gonna say in 2012 we were probably paying maybe $60 *** case versus now $190 to $225. Even since last year, the business has noticed *** mass increase in the money they're having to shell out. *** year ago, eggs were running about $80 *** case, which is 30 dozen, which is 360 eggs. Today they range from $196 to $220 *** case. The increase is forcing the owners to discuss slightly increasing prices. We have to go up on eggs because. We're losing money on eggs let's call it like it is we're losing money and so we're going up, uh, *** little bit but not astronomical but just trying to still make it reasonable for the working man to come out to eat and enjoy breakfast. The exact reason behind the increase could be hard to crack, but we do know the recent spread in bird flu is partly to blame. Some of them say bird flu, some of them say they just don't know why and but they do tell us that the egg prices are gonna continue to go up. Which is, you know, it's hard for small businesses like us. Chris tells me the restaurant, which is *** small locally owned business, can go through around 1200 eggs *** week, which adds up very quickly.

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 no relief in sight.“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 website.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 American Farm Bureau Federation.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.”

NEW YORK —

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 no relief in sight.

“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 American Farm Bureau Federation.

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.”

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