Waffle House, the iconic Southern diner chain known for its 24-hour breakfast menu and signature waffles, has officially removed the 50-cent per egg surcharge it added earlier this year. The surcharge was introduced in February as a response to soaring egg prices caused by widespread bird flu outbreaks.
“Egg-cellent news,” Waffle House
posted on its social media account on July 1. “The egg surcharge is officially off the menu. Thanks for understanding!”
Previous egg shortages drove egg prices up nearly 50 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels and forced many
foodservice providers to adjust menu prices or surcharge egg-heavy dishes. The
avian influenza epidemic led to the culling of tens of millions of egg-laying hens across the United States, which disrupted the supply chain. This drove up costs for both consumers and businesses.
The Georgia-based chain serves an
estimated 272 million eggs annually. Waffle House, which operates over 2,000 locations across 25 states, had faced significant challenges due to the bird flu epidemic that led to the culling of millions of egg-laying hens nationwide. Eggs are one of the restaurant's most popular items.
Wholesale egg prices have dropped 64 percent and retail prices have fallen 27 percent from their peak earlier this year after hitting record highs, according to a press release from the USDA on June 26.
According to an earlier
report from NTD, the cost of a two-egg breakfast, with toast and a choice of grits or hash browns, before the egg price increase averaged at $6.75. After the 50-cent egg surcharge, the price on the restaurant’s menu showed the same item for up to $8.50, depending on the location. As of July 2, the two-egg breakfast plate lists a price of $7.75 at the same
location. Other locations are listing different prices for the same item.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins
said the USDA moved quickly to stabilize egg prices. The spike, she noted, had “seriously dented consumers’ wallets after years of awful inflation.”
Rollins said that on her first day as secretary, the department launched a five-pronged strategy focused on strengthening farm-level biosecurity and bringing down grocery store egg prices. “The plan has worked,” she said, “and families are seeing relief with egg prices driving food deflation in the April Consumer Price Index.”
While praising the progress—citing over 900 biosecurity assessments completed to date—Rollins warned that producers shouldn’t become complacent. “Resources remain available,” she added, “and we are urging poultry farmers of all sizes to get your assessments done today before a potentially challenging fall.”
