Waffle House, the popular American diner chain, has implemented a temporary $0.50 surcharge on each egg ordered due to the ongoing bird flu crisis impacting egg prices and supply. This surcharge, effective February 3rd, 2025, comes as the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, continues to disrupt poultry farms across the United States.
A memo circulated within Waffle House and shared with news outlets explains that the widespread egg shortage, a direct consequence of the HPAI outbreak, has led to a significant surge in egg prices. This price increase has forced both consumers and restaurants to make difficult decisions regarding their budgets and menus. Waffle House emphasized that the surcharge is a temporary measure directly tied to the unprecedented rise in egg costs.
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While the company hopes for a swift resolution to the egg shortage and the subsequent price fluctuations, they acknowledge the uncertainty surrounding the duration of the crisis. “While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived we cannot predict how long this shortage will last,” the memo stated. The temporary surcharge aims to mitigate the financial impact of the inflated egg prices on the restaurant chain.
Eggs are a cornerstone of the Waffle House menu and a customer favorite. According to the company’s website, they serve a staggering 272 million eggs annually, surpassing even their iconic hashbrowns (153 million) and waffles (124 million) in popularity. This highlights the significant impact of the egg shortage on the restaurant’s operations.
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Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals a stark increase in egg prices. The average price for a dozen Grade A large eggs was $2.52 in January 2024, but this figure climbed to $4.15 by December 2024. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects a 20.3% increase in egg prices for 2025, indicating a continuing upward trend. The current bird flu outbreak, which began in 2020 and reached the U.S. in 2022, has intensified in recent months, exacerbating the egg shortage and price hikes. As of February 4th, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported H5N1 outbreaks in dairy cows across 16 states, affecting 957 dairy herds. The CDC also documented poultry outbreaks in 51 jurisdictions, impacting a staggering 153 million birds. The virus has also been detected in 11,000 wild birds across these jurisdictions.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed significant concern last April regarding the potential for the bird flu to spread to humans. While there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission, there have been 67 confirmed human cases of bird flu in the United States, resulting in one fatality as of February 2024. Adding to the complexity of the situation, the Trump administration has imposed a pause on communications from federal health agencies, including the CDC, hindering the publication of crucial research on the virus and its transmission. This communication blackout further complicates efforts to understand and address the ongoing bird flu crisis.
