Waffle House removes egg surcharge | Update on prices, avian flu
In a post on X, the beloved restaurant chain announced that it dropped the egg surcharge on June 2.
ATLANTA — Waffle House has officially removed its egg surcharge from menus as egg prices cool.
In a post on X, the beloved Georgia restaurant chain announced that it dropped the egg surcharge on June 2.
The 50-cent-per-egg surcharge was reinstated in February, when prices skyrocketed due to a nationwide egg shortage linked to an avian flu outbreak.
The bird flu led to fewer eggs on store shelves, increasing egg demand earlier this year. Grocery stores like Publix and Lidl previously announced limited availability, with some limiting egg purchases. Some customers of the grocery stores reported previously reported completely empty shelves for eggs earlier this year.
A Thursday update from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shared a significant decrease in egg prices. The USDA stated that wholesale egg prices have dropped 64%. Additionally, retail egg prices have fallen 27% from their peak earlier this year, meaning most people are now paying less than they were at the height of the egg shortage.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins credited a national five-part strategy launched in February to address the avian flu crisis and bring relief to families at the grocery store.
“The plan has worked, and families are seeing relief with egg prices driving food deflation in the April Consumer Price Index,” Rollins said in the June update. “While we are proud that over 900 biosecurity assessments have been conducted to date, resources remain available, and we are urging poultry farmers of all sizes to get your assessments done today before a potentially challenging fall.”
The USDA has invested $1 billion into the initiative, which includes federal-funded biosecurity assessments, financial relief for affected farmers, and research into vaccines and disease prevention.
Biosecurity assessments are on-site reviews where experts examine factors such as farm layout, sanitation, wildlife exposure, and visitor protocols to help protect against avian flu and other diseases.
Georgia is the No. 1 state for poultry production, and amid the avian flu outbreak, the Peach State has seen fewer cases of avian flu than most other states.
The nation has seen more than 787 commercial flocks and 921 backyard flocks affected by avian flu. Georgia has only seen three of each affected this year.
“Georgia is a model for the nation when it comes to HPAI prevention, detection, and mitigation,” State Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said. “Our staff at GDA works around the clock with our poultry producers and animal health professionals to protect against HPAI and keep prices low for Georgia consumers.”
As egg prices continue to fall and restaurants like Waffle House roll back surcharges, agricultural officials warn that the threat of avian flu remains a serious issue.