Waffle House drops egg surcharge as prices come down from record highs

Waffle House has dropped its 50-cent per egg surcharge as once-soaring egg prices stabilize. In a social media post announcing the “egg-cellent news,” the establishment said on Tuesday, July 1: “The egg surcharge is officially off the menu. Thanks for understanding.”

Egg prices fall

The chain had added the surcharge in February in direct response to an outbreak of bird flu that had forced farms to kill tens of millions of egg-laying hens, which increased egg prices to record highs.

Egg prices have now dropped from a record high of $6.23 per dozen in March to $4.55 in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is still more than 40% higher than May of 2024.

Making it official

The restaurant eliminated the surcharge last month as egg prices went down, but didn’t officially announce the move until Tuesday.

Other breakfast restaurants also added egg surcharges, such as Denny’s, as the avian flu impacted supply. Denny’s, meanwhile, said it dropped its surcharge in late May, saying it’s “great news for Grand Slam lovers everywhere.”

High egg prices presented a major obstacle for Waffle House, which serves around 272 million eggs a year out of its more than 2,000 restaurants nationwide.

Challenges remain

However, that doesn’t mean the challenges are over. As of Tuesday, July 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still considers bird flu widespread worldwide. The CDC reports that 41 dairy herds and 24 poultry farms across the United States are currently impacted by H5N1. There have been at least 70 cases in humans and one death since the outbreak, but the agency still considers the risk to humans low. To date, bird flu has infected 1,073 dairy herds across 17 states, according to the CDC.

Recovery efforts

The American Egg Board also acknowledges that restocking the nation’s egg supply will take considerable time, noting the supply of egg-laying hens is down 6% from a year ago. 

“The good news for egg lovers is that ongoing recovery efforts by egg farmers, support from USDA, and a decrease in new cases of bird flu have provided stability in both egg prices and supply,” a statement from the board read. “Further, demand for eggs typically falls after Easter and into the summer months, which has made more eggs available at retail and grocery stores.”

USDA statement

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said last week: “Families are seeing relief with egg prices driving food deflation. We must remain diligent, and egg farmers and producers can continue to utilize USDA resources to conduct biosecurity assessments.”