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In another blow for inflation-weary consumers, Waffle House is increasing the price of their egg-based dishes as the nation grapples with a shortage prompted by the biggest bird flu outbreak in a decade.
The chain announced the change by slapping stickers on its menus, informing customers of a 50-cent surcharge per egg, effective this week. The restaurant’s two-egg breakfast, which comes with toast and a side, was listed at $7.75 on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
The company said the change was a “temporary targeted surcharge tied to the unprecedented rise in egg prices.”
“While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived, we cannot predict how long this shortage will last,” Waffle House said. “We are continuously monitoring egg prices and will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.”
The average price per dozen eggs nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That’s not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts egg prices are going to soar another 20% this year.
The price of eggs became a political football during the presidential campaign last year, with now-President Donald Trump claiming that eggs were $5 under then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Bringing down prices was a key election pledge for Trump. However, in an interview with Time magazine in December, he admitted it wouldn’t be an easy task.
Waffle House has 2000 locations in 25 states, with the majority in the South and Midwest. The restaurant serves 272 million eggs per year, making it the most-ordered item, according to CNN.
More than half the eggs consumed in their restaurants come from one supplier: Rose Acre Farms.
However, last month the Indiana-based supplier said one of its farms had tested positive for the avian flu virus and workers had started to notice deaths. The American Farm Bureau reports roughly 75 million birds have been killed since January 2022, impacting approximately eight percent of the country’s supply.
A US Department of Agriculture Egg Market Review report published last week found grocers nationwide are trying to discourage shoppers from buying eggs by limiting or ending promotional activity, placing limits on units allowed per shopping trip and holding prices at record or near-record highs. But the tactics are doing little to slow demand, the agency said.
Bird flu has resulted in the depopulation of 13.2m birds in December and as of last week, 16 outbreaks across seven states including Arizona, California, North Carolina, Ohio, Montana, Indiana and Washington, have resulted in the loss of an additional 14 million birds.
Last month the first U.S. human fatality linked to the disease was reported in Louisiana. There have been 67 confirmed bird flu infections of humans in the U.S. since 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Additional reporting by AP.
