You can rely on Waffle House for 24 hour service, an occasional Lana Del Rey sighting, and the most reliable natural disaster tracking in the country. But now, if you’re planning on ordering an omelet, expect to pay extra. In light of rising egg costs nationwide, the all-day breakfast chain announced a 50 cent surcharge for each egg served.
Customers report that the announcement has been posted throughout Waffle House locations, on menus and signs in the dining room. The chain, which serves over 272 millions eggs a year, has been especially impacted by the price increase.
“Customers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions,” a Waffle House representative told CNN.“ The rep added that the chain will continue to monitor egg prices and adjust their surcharge accordingly.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average price of a dozen eggs reached $4.15 in December 2024—that's a more than 65% increase from the previous year. In fact, current egg prices are among the highest they’ve been in a decade.
The last spike of this magnitude spanned from late 2022 to early 2023, and the culprit for both of these price increases is the same: avian flu.
H5N1, a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza, first reached North America in late 2021. The virus initially spread among wild birds, but has since impacted flocks of commercial poultry in all 50 states.
The US Department of Agriculture reports that nearly 154 million poultry have been affected by the crisis. The H5N1 strain is extremely adaptable and has learned to infect non-bird species, including cattle, pets, and at least 67 humans.
Federal officials maintain that the public health risk remains low. Consumers, however, are still bearing the brunt of this crisis — namely, through the rise in already high grocery prices. And the spread of avian flu shows no signs of stopping.
“Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we’re in this for a while,” Emily Metz, President and CEO of the American Egg Board, told CNN. “Until we have time without a detection, unfortunately this very, very tight egg supply is going to continue.”
Because of this strain on supply, the USDA predicts that price of eggs will increase by 20% in 2025. Local restaurants across the country have adopted surcharge in response to the increased egg costs, but Waffle House is the first national chain to enact this policy. Financial experts expect other restaurants to follow suit.
