Waffle House, the popular Georgia-based restaurant chain with over 2,000 locations across 25 states, has implemented a temporary 50 cent per egg surcharge across all menus effective Monday, as the chain increased costs in response to ongoing egg shortages triggered by an outbreak of bird flu.
Newsweek reached out to Waffle House via email on Monday for comment.
Why It Matters
This temporary surcharge highlights the growing impact of bird flu on the U.S. food service industry.
The decision by Waffle House, known for its reliable and affordable menu prices, signals the severity of supply-chain disruptions affecting restaurants and retailers nationwide.
What To Know
According to the company’s press release, “quality, fresh-cracked, Grade A Large eggs will remain a key ingredient in many of our customers’ favorite meals.” Waffle House explained their new pricing strategy as a “temporary targeted surcharge” instead of increasing prices across their menu.
This pricing adjustment coincides with the United States’ first reported outbreak of H5N9 bird flu on a California duck farm in January, where authorities have culled nearly 119,000 birds. The discovery of this rare strain, alongside existing H5N1 outbreaks, has intensified pressure on the nation’s egg supply. Major retailers including Publix and Lidl have already implemented egg purchase limits.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that avian influenza has spread to dozens of mammalian species and led to human cases in the United States, including a death in Louisiana this year. While the agency maintains that the current risk to public health remains low, the economic impact continues to grow.
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data on the egg market, the wholesale price on the New York market for large cartons of eggs delivered to retailers rose by 39 cents, to $7.63 per dozen in the week ending on January 31. In the Midwest, it increased by 54 cents, to $7.03 per dozen. In California, it climbed by 37 cents, to $8.72 per dozen.
The USDA and state officials are conducting enhanced surveillance efforts in response to these outbreaks.
What People Are Saying
Waffle House said in the statement: “Rather than increasing prices across the menu, this is a temporary targeted surcharge tied to the unprecedented rise in egg prices.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a recent report to the World Organization for Animal Health: “The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in conjunction with State Animal Health and Wildlife Officials, are conducting comprehensive epidemiological investigations and enhanced surveillance in response to the HPAI [Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza] related events.”
What Happens Next
Waffle House will continue monitoring egg prices and market conditions to determine when the surcharge can be adjusted or removed.
The company acknowledges uncertainty about the duration of these measures, stating they “cannot predict how long this shortage will last.”
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