Waffle House responds to egg shortage by slapping surcharge on orders
Waffle House responds to egg shortage by slapping surcharge on orders
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Millions of egg-laying birds have been culled due to recent avian flu outbreaks. 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 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.”.
![[Unsuspecting customers were hit with a surcharge per-egg ordered when they visited their local Waffle House this week.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/02/04/14/Waffle_House_Eggs_30103.jpg)
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. 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.
![[The price of eggs could continue to soar another 20 percent this years, experts have warned.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/24/23/Bird_Flu_Duck_Farm_19517.jpg)
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.
