Waffle House drops egg surcharge after 5 months as prices plummet across the US
Waffle House announced 'egg-cellent news' for their customers' wallets. The casual dining chain is dropping the temporary 50-cent surcharge for eggs from its menu after five months, effective immediately.
'Egg-cellent news…as of June 2, the egg surcharge is officially off the menu. Thanks for understanding,' Waffle House wrote in a post on X.
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Earlier this year, the Georgia-based restaurant chain — which has more than 2,000 locations across 25 states — implemented a 'temporary targeted surcharge' tied to the 'unprecedented' rise in egg prices, rather than increasing the price of all menu items.
But with the national average wholesale price of eggs being down 7% — at just $2.54 per dozen last week, according to the latest United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Egg Markets report — Waffle House no longer has to upcharge.
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Earlier this year, Waffle House implemented a 'temporary targeted surcharge' tied to the 'unprecedented' rise in egg prices.
GIANRIGO MARLETTA/AFP via Getty Images
The removal of the increased prices from the menu comes almost five months after Waffle House released a statement announcing the 50-cent-per-egg surcharge.
'The continuing egg shortage caused by HPAI (Bird Flu) has caused a dramatic increase in egg prices,' Waffle House said in a statement on February 3. 'Consumers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions.'
'While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived, we cannot predict how long this shortage will last,' the statement added. 'We are continuously monitoring egg prices and will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.'
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The removal of the increased prices from the menu comes almost five months after Waffle House released a statement announcing the 50-cent-per-egg surcharge.
Waffle House
The ongoing H5N9, or bird flu, outbreak began globally in 2020 and made its way to America in 2022, with cases spiking earlier this year and leading to supply chain issues.
As of July 3, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported 70 bird flu cases in the U.S., with 41 being from dairy herds (cattle) and 24 from poultry farms. The other five were from exposure from other unspecified animals or unknown sources.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said egg prices were still more expensive than they were a year prior, but the price has gone down enough for chains like Waffle House to drop their surcharges, CNN reported.
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The USDA rolled out a five-pronged strategy to combat the bird flu outbreak back in March, which could have improved the availability and wholesale pricing of eggs over time.
'Egg prices are falling, farmers are getting the relief they need, and we are seeing meaningful progress in the fight against avian flu,' USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement at the time.
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