Tag: Egg

Egg farmer hit hard by bird flu, results in 3 lost flocks

Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch CEO Greg Herbruck shares how his business has been affected by bird flu.

Egg prices are continuing to rise, reaching levels not seen since inflation hit a high of 9% in 2022, hitting the wallets of consumers as well as America’s farmers.

Outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, are primarily to blame. Entire commercial flocks, consisting of more than 1,000 chickens, have been wiped out as a result of the virus.

Greg Herbruck, a third-generation farmer and the CEO of Michigan egg production company Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, told FOX Business that the virus wreaked havoc on all three of the company’s farms, located about five miles from each other, forcing him to cull his entire supply.

The industry has been fighting bird flu since the outbreaks began in 2022. For Herbruck, it was the day before Easter 2024 when the company’s chickens contracted bird flu – a time he vividly recalls.

EGG PRICES AREN’T COMING DOWN ANYTIME SOON, EXPERTS SAY

“It’s just like somebody takes a ball back to your gut,” said Herbruck, who wants officials to approve and fast track a vaccine that farmers can use to protect their flocks. “I’m just an egg farmer out here trying to say, ‘Hey, please, we need some help to fight this battle.’”

Herbruck said he went weeks without sleep, and by the time the third farm was infected, one of the company’s executives was crying in his office.

“It was just awful… just the nightmare of that many dead chickens,” he said.

Greg Herbruck, a third-generation farmer and the CEO of Michigan egg production company Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, told FOX Business that the virus wreaked havoc on all three of the company’s farms. (Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch)

This marks the fourth year that the virus has crippled farmers, with outbreaks continuing to emerge into early 2025. After the virus is detected, farms are instructed to kill their entire flocks to eradicate the disease, which significantly disrupts supply and raises the cost of eggs in the U.S. food system.

US EGG PRODUCTION DROPS AS PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE ALONG WITH BIRD FLU CASES

The process to rebuild the operation is not easy, as it takes several months to get to a point where a farm can start producing large eggs again.

After getting clearance from the Agriculture Department, Herbruck said it takes about five months for a chick to reach maturity and to start laying a good number of large eggs.

Eggs at Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch. Michigan’s largest egg producer, specializing in organic and cage-free eggs. (Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch)

To expedite the process, farms purchase mature hens to begin laying eggs while simultaneously raising younger chicks. It can take up to two years for a farm to return to full production. In June 2024, Herbruck said the company began reintroducing birds to its farms, but are still operating at only 70% of their pre-outbreak capacity.

Meanwhile, his workers have been taking extra precautions. For instance, they are transported to a remote area where they can change clothes. Some workers are even required to change twice to minimize the risk of contamination.

BIRD FLU VACCINE: WHAT TO KNOW

Herbruck expressed growing concerns as the virus has now been shown to infect mammals. In March 2024, the virus was first detected in cows and has since infected 968 dairy herds across 16 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency last month reported 66 confirmed human cases of bird flu in the U.S. since 2024, including one fatality.

Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, Michigan’s largest egg producer, specializes in organic and cage-free eggs. (Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch)

Humans can contract bird flu through contact with an infected animal’s body fluids, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Infection can also occur by inhaling small dust particles from animal habitats or by touching body fluids and then getting them into the eyes, nose or mouth.

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However, Herbruck is more concerned if the disease is airborne, which has not yet been determined.

“It’s not even possible to filter out that virus or to disinfect the air. These barns that may have 150,000 birds, we typically change the air every 30 to 40 seconds… so the idea that we might be able to somehow disinfect that air is not even reasonable,” he said.

In addition to the protocols farms are already taking, Herbruck said the tool that is still missing is a vaccine. While it is not perfect, “it’s something that can help us,” he said.

February 18, 2025
White House economist gives plan to control avian flu, lower egg prices

Vice president of Eggs Unlimited Brian Moscogiuri explains why egg prices will continue to soar as the bird flu outbreak slows production.

The White House is working toward a plan to control the avian flu, which will help lower egg prices that have skyrocketed due to inflation and how the Biden administration “killed all the chickens” to contain the spread of the disease, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Sunday.

Hassett appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” where he said that he and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins are “working with all the best people in government, including academics around the country and around the world” to have a plan ready for President Donald Trump next week regarding the disease.

“The Biden plan was to just, you know, kill chickens, and they spent billions of dollars just randomly killing chickens within a perimeter where they found a sick chicken,” he said.

Hassett said the plan being worked on in the Trump administration is to “have better ways with biosecurity and medication and so on, to make sure that the perimeter doesn’t have to kill the chickens.”

EGG FARMERS ARE FACING THE ‘WORST BIRD FLU OUTBREAK’ IN ‘HISTORY,’ INDUSTRY LEADERS FEAR

The White House is working toward a plan to control the avian flu, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic, File / Reuters Photos)

“So having a smart perimeter is what we’re working on, and we’re finalizing the ideas about how to do that with the best scientists in government,” Hassett said. “And that’s the kind of thing that should have happened a year ago, and if it had, then egg prices would be, you know, a lot better than they are now.”

Hassett also addressed the “very large” inflation problem, which he attributed to former President Joe Biden.

White House Council of Economic Advisers chairman Kevin Hassett speaks to the media during a press briefing at the White House on Feb. 22, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“We saw the consumer price index come out, and we found out that the stagflation that was created by the policies of President Biden was way worse than we thought,” Hassett said. “Over the last three months, across all goods, including eggs, the average inflation rate was 4.6%, way above target, and an acceleration at the end of the Biden term.”

FIXING AMERICA’S CHICKEN AND EGG CRISIS

Average egg prices have risen 15% since January and are up 53% year-over-year, according to the latest consumer price index, released Wednesday. The average price of a dozen Large Grade A eggs is nearing $5.00, as tracked by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins discusses how she is preparing to reform the agency and how she and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will tackle the egg crisis on ‘Kudlow.’

The White House has previously said the Biden administration contributed to the egg supply shortage by directing the killing of over 100 million chickens.

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Sources tell FOX Business the culling of infected flocks is current U.S. protocol, but more research and development is needed to control and even prevent outbreaks, such as vaccinating birds.

Fox Business’ Suzanne O’Halloran contributed to this report.

February 16, 2025
Egg customers crying fowl over empty shelves, high prices can now rent their own chickens

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins discusses how she is preparing to reform the agency and how she and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will tackle the egg crisis on ‘Kudlow.’

As customers face empty shelves and rapidly rising egg prices at the supermarket due to the avian flu and a lower national supply, breakfast lovers have another option – their own backyard.

Founded 12 years ago, Rent the Chicken provides customers with two egg-laying hens, a portable chicken coop, up to 200 pounds of feed, food and water dish and a book on taking care of chickens.

“Within two days of the arrival, your chickens will lay eggs ready to use!” the company promises, adding that the homegrown eggs have one-third the cholesterol, one-fourth of the saturated fat and two times more omega three fatty acids that store-bought eggs.

The company adds, “Your Rent The Chickens should lay about a dozen to two dozen eggs per week depending on your Rental Package. You will know exactly what your chickens eat!”

NEW YORK RESTAURANT OWNERS SLAMMED BY SURGING EGG PRICES

As customers face empty shelves and rapidly rising egg prices at the supermarket due to the avian flu and a lower national supply, breakfast lovers have another option – their own backyard. (Tim Graham/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Customers can schedule a date on the website or the phone and the company will bring out the chickens, which are already laying eggs, as well as the supplies.

The chickens are also available for adoption if the customer realizes they want to keep them at the end of the rental period, the company added.

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Rent the Chicken co-founder Jenn Tompkins told ABC News that their phone is “ringing off the hook” as egg prices go up.

“Our online inquiries are filling up very quickly as well,” Tompkins said. “We will run out of hens available for rent. If anyone is interested, please make sure to put their reservation in sooner than later.”

She said that the chickens cost around $500 to rent for about six months.

EGG SHORTAGES FORCE SOME GROCERY STORES TO IMPOSE LIMITS

More and more stores are seeing empty shelving because of dwindling egg supplies. (Getty Images)

While that averages out to about $20 a week for eggs, Tompkins said the chickens provide food assurance amid scarcity.

“We are not coming against the high price of eggs,” she explained to USA Today. “We are solving a problem of food insecurity; of not having eggs on the shelf. People can have eggs in their backyard.”

Eggs Unlimited Vice President Brian Moscogiuri told “Fox & Friends” on Thursday that the country is going through “the worst bird flu outbreak that we’ve had in the last 10 years since 2015, potentially the worst bird flu outbreak that we’ve ever had in the history of this country.”

In the last year, egg prices have risen 53% since January 2024, and they’re already up 15% since January of this year.

In the last three years, 153 million cases of bird flu have been found in poultry.

“We’ve lost 120 million birds since the beginning of 2022. In the last few months alone, since the middle of October, we’ve lost 45 million egg-laying hens,” he added. “We’ve lost a significant amount of production, more than 13%. So we’re just dealing with supply shortages. And it’s just a disaster right now because this virus is in three of the top egg-laying states in the country. It doesn’t seem like it’s stopping anytime soon.”

In the last year, egg prices have risen 53% since January 2024, and they’re already up 15% since January of this year. (Celal Gunes /Anadolu via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Joe Defrancesco, a Connecticut farmer who started renting his chickens out five years ago, told WVIT-TV, “It’s really a learning experience. Yes you get an egg per chicken per day and it’s a great thing knowing you have eggs right in your backyard and you’re guaranteed.”

Tompkins told Axios that the birds also have an added benefit for renters.

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“The chickens provide a level of therapy that people didn’t know that they needed,” she said.

February 16, 2025
Egg farmers facing the ‘worst bird flu outbreak’ in ‘history,’ industry leader fears

Vice president of Eggs Unlimited Brian Moscogiuri explains why egg prices will continue to soar as the bird flu outbreak slows production.

American farmers and those in the agricultural business continue to reel over the spread of H5N1 bird flu, which apparently shows no sign of slowing to “disaster” status.

“The real crisis is that we’re going through the worst bird flu outbreak that we’ve had in the last 10 years since 2015, potentially the worst bird flu outbreak that we’ve ever had in the history of this country,” Eggs Unlimited Vice President Brian Moscogiuri said on “Fox & Friends” Thursday.

“We’ve lost 120 million birds since the beginning of 2022. In the last few months alone, since the middle of October, we’ve lost 45 million egg-laying hens,” he added. “We’ve lost a significant amount of production, more than 13%. So we’re just dealing with supply shortages. And it’s just a disaster right now because this virus is in three of the top egg-laying states in the country. It doesn’t seem like it’s stopping anytime soon.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bird flu detections have been made in dairy cattle, wild birds, poultry flocks and other mammals, while 68 human cases have been confirmed as well as one death.

EGG PRICES AREN’T COMING DOWN ANYTIME SOON, EXPERTS SAY

Companies recently started imposing limits on egg sales as the shortage caused by outbreaks persists, causing a frenzy among shoppers. Droves of viral videos have surfaced in recent weeks, showing shoppers stockpiling eggs. One video posted on TikTok claimed that an entire section of eggs at a Costco was gone in less than 10 minutes.

A grocery store worker rearranges items in the depleted egg section on January 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images)

Other grocery and restaurant chains like Trader Joe’s, Korger, Whole Foods and Waffle House have been limiting customer purchases or adding egg surcharges as the nationwide supply dwindles.

“We’re just trying to figure out, and the farmers are trying to figure out, how the virus is getting in… there’s several different catalysts, including wild migratory birds that have been flying over the country in the fall, in the spring each year… And we’re also wondering, is it in the ground? Is it in the air on these farms? Some of these farms that have been able to clean out and are working on repopulating have actually been hit again,” Moscogiuri said.

Carlo’s Bakery owner Buddy Valastro opens up about the soaring price of eggs on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

“The farms really need help in identifying where the virus is coming in from, and then,” he expanded, “solutions to stopping the virus so that they can repopulate, resupply and ultimately help to bring the egg prices back down.”

Since January, average egg prices have risen 15% and are up 53% year-over-year, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday that the high prices of eggs is directly related to a lack of chicken supply which the Biden administration contributed to.

Eggs Unlimited is one of the largest international suppliers of eggs, servicing major retailers, distributors and food service companies while also serving as a sort of egg “broker,” according to Moscogiuri.

Business is understandably “difficult” right now, he said.

“There’s less eggs available. Right now, we’re really focused on making sure that our customers are getting the orders and their supply, and making sure that they have eggs on their shelves. For consumers, [we’re] trying to limit their impact with the pricing and the supply chain shortages that we’re currently seeing right now.”

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FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.

February 15, 2025
America’s chicken and egg shortage needs fixing

White House National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett details how the Trump team is working with Congress to advance the president’s economic agenda and comments on the continued impact of ‘Bidenflation’ on ‘Kudlow.’

President Donald Trump’s Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins was confirmed Thursday, and fixing America’s chicken and egg crisis is among her top four priorities.

Rollins, during her confirmation hearing, indicated she’s been in touch with several Republican agriculture commissioners on the situation, which could be among the worst in decades.

“I think there’s no doubt that the all-of-government approach, working with the stakeholder community but also the state and local officials, is going to be extremely important” to address food security, she said in answer to a question from Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.

Brooke Rollins, agriculture secretary nominee for President Donald Trump, is sworn-in during a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

More than 148 million birds have been euthanized, per CBS, as the avian bird flu ravages the U.S., driving up overall food inflation.

Egg prices jumped 53% compared to last January and are up 15.2% from just December, according to the latest consumer price index, released Wednesday.

“It turns out [former President] Joe Biden didn’t have an avian flu strategy at all, so now nobody can buy an egg anywhere in the grocery store because Joe Biden killed all the chickens,” said Kevin Hassett, National Economic Council Director for President Trump, during an interview with FOX Business’ Larry Kudlow. Hassett is optimistic that Rollins can do better.

Shelves normally filled with egg cartons are seen empty at a Whole Foods store in New York City. (FOX Business)

The average price of a dozen Large Grade A eggs is nearing $5.00, as tracked by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicted that egg prices, which can vary significantly from month to month, will increase by more than 20% this year. FOX Business’ inquiries to the USDA were not immediately returned.

The cost of a dozen Large Grade A eggs. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED®)

Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Foundation, recently told FOX Business that the avian influenza outbreak, which began in 2022, is far from over. In December, there were over 18 million birds affected, which he said led to “bare grocery shelves in some places and widespread higher prices.”

RETAILERS LIMIT HOW MANY EGGS CUSTOMERS CAN BUY

The bird flu has been confirmed in 67 human cases, according to the CDC. (iStock / iStock)

The disease affects domestic chickens, turkeys, ducks and other fowl. One human fatality has been linked to the bird flu outbreak in Louisiana.

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Costco, Kroger and Whole Foods are among the grocers limiting how many cartons of eggs shoppers can purchase.

Waffle House, a Southern breakfast-food chain, added a temporary 50 cent per egg surcharge earlier this month.

FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.

February 14, 2025

Whole Foods, Costco, Kroger limiting egg purchases as shortages persist

‘Barron’s Roundtable’ panelists Megan Leonhardt, Al Root and Ben Levisohn discuss avian flu and top stocks.

Costco, Kroger and Whole Foods are among the growing list of grocers that are putting a purchasing limit on eggs as supply shortages persist.

Companies started imposing limits on the product as the shortage caused by outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, persists, causing a frenzy among shoppers. Droves of viral videos have surfaced in recent weeks, showing shoppers stockpiling eggs. One video posted on TikTok claimed that an entire section of eggs at a Costco was gone in less than 10 minutes.

Amazon-owned Whole Foods posted signs on its shelves notifying customers that customers can only buy three cartons of eggs at one time.

“We are currently experiencing difficulty sourcing eggs that meet our strict animal welfare standards,” a sign posted at one of its stores in New York City read.

TRADER JOE’S PUTS CAP ON HOW MANY EGGS SHOPPERS CAN BUY

Kroger confirmed to FOX Business that some banner divisions are also limiting egg sales. At stores where limits are in place, the company is asking customers to only buy two dozen eggs per trip, a spokesperson told FOX Business.

Trader Joe’s told FOX Business on Monday that it is limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day. The limit applies to every Trader Joe’s grocery store in the U.S., according to the company.

A sign at a Whole Foods store in New York City, telling customers they need to limit their egg purchases. (Fox Business / Fox News)

Costco also confirmed to CNN that it was limiting customers to three packages of eggs.

Experts have warned that egg shortages will continue as bird flu outbreaks continue to impact the U.S. laying hen flock.

Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Foundation, told FOX Business, estimated that more than 136 million birds have been affected by avian influenza since 2022. In December, there were over 18 million birds affected, which he said led to “bare grocery shelves in some places and widespread higher prices.”

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COST	COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP.	1,061.92	+18.11	+1.73%
KR	THE KROGER CO.	65.28	+0.28	+0.43%

According to the Department of Agriculture (USDA), prices were 36.8% higher in December 2024 than a year earlier, but they were still below peak prices in January 2023.

In 2025, the USDA predicted that egg prices, which can vary significantly from month to month, will increase by more than 20%.

BIRD FLU VACCINE: WHAT TO KNOW

Shelves normally filled with egg cartons at a Whole Foods store in New York City, (Fox Business)

Not only are consumers feeling the effects of high egg prices at the grocery store, but they’re facing surcharges at restaurants.

Notably, Waffle House, a Southern breakfast food chain, added a temporary 50 cent per egg surcharge to all of its menus last week. The company blamed the ongoing egg shortage for the dramatic increase in egg prices, saying that “consumers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions.”

Placards on a store shelf inform customers that cage-free eggs are coming back soon. (Fox News Digital / Fox News)

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Smaller eateries, like New York-based Mexican café and bakery Ursula, are being impacted. Ursula owner and head chef Eric See told FOX Business that the prices of whole eggs have doubled, while the cost of liquid eggs has risen by about 25%.

February 11, 2025

Cracker Barrel promises no egg surcharges, doubles rewards after Waffle House announcement

Cracker Barrel’s original old country store won’t be restored.

Cracker Barrel is cementing itself as a good egg in the restaurant industry, promising customers constant prices following competitors’ recent egg surcharge announcements.

“Egg prices are staying put, but we’re doubling your rewards,” the company wrote in a Facebook post.

On Thursday night, the company announced that Cracker Barrel Rewards members will also earn double pegs on all egg dishes through Wednesday.

Florida, Stuart, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)

SHELLING OUT: EGG PRICES RISE NEARLY 37 PERCENT

The announcement comes after ongoing outbreaks of the bird flu led to an increase in egg prices and limited availability nationwide.

Earlier this week, Fox Business reported a number of companies plan on adding egg surcharges amid the recent shortage.

Waffle House, a sprawling Southern breakfast food chain, on Monday implemented a temporary .50 per egg surcharge across all of its menus.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is an American restaurant and gift store chain that serves Southern-inspired food. (iStock / iStock)

EGG PRICES AREN’T COMING DOWN ANYTIME SOON, EXPERTS SAY

The company released a statement saying both consumers and restaurants are “being forced to make difficult decisions.”

“Rather than increasing prices across the menu, this is a temporary, targeted surcharge tied to the unprecedented rise in egg prices,” the company wrote.

While price fluctuations will be “short-lived,” the company said it is unclear how long the shortage will last.

A deer head hangs above a hearth inside a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. restaurant and gift shop in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., on Monday, Sept. 23, 2019. Cracker Barrel is scheduled to release earnings figures on November 26. Photographer: L (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

BIRD FLU VACCINE: WHAT TO KNOW

Waffle House, which has nearly 2,000 locations across 25 states, clarified eggs will remain on the menu, but said prices will be adjusted as market conditions allow.

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Sean Kennedy, National Restaurant Association executive vice president of public affairs explained that during shortages, operators collaborate with food suppliers to assess the impact.

They may later make the decision to curb the financial toll by altering menus or raising prices.

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Fox Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this story.

February 8, 2025
Egg surcharge hits diners’ wallets: Experts say consumers should fear menu price hikes more

FOX Business’ Jeff Flock has the details from a farm in Columbus, New Jersey, on ‘Varney & Co.’

Consumers are being hit with temporary surcharges due to the ongoing egg shortage in the U.S. food system. But experts told FOX Business that these surcharges are the lesser of two evils when compared to overall menu price increases.

Michelle Korsmo, the CEO of the National Restaurant Association (NAR), said that these surcharges are a temporary measure and can be removed from menus when macroeconomic conditions improve.

“When a restaurant operator adds a surcharge to their menu in a situation like this, it’s generally because they are optimistic that it will be resolved quickly and because they want to be transparent with their customers about their rising costs,” Korsmo told FOX Business.

For instance, the Waffle House, a Southern breakfast food chain, added a temporary 50 cent-per-egg surcharge to all of its menus on Monday.

WAFFLE HOUSE, OTHER COMPANIES ADD EGG SURCHARGE AMID SHORTAGE

The company blamed the ongoing egg shortage caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) – or bird flu – for the dramatic increase in egg prices, saying that “consumers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions.”

While the company didn’t specify when the charge would be removed, it said that it will adjust or remove the surcharge when market conditions allow.

A menu in a Waffle House restaurant displays a sticker advising customers of a 50 cent price hike per egg “due to the nationwide rise in the cost of eggs,” in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 6, 2025. (Gianrigo Marletta/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Changing the price on a menu will often add to an operator’s costs. It also doesn’t give them the opportunity to have the same transparency with customers about why the price is changing, Korsmo added.

TRUMP’S PROPOSED TARIFFS COULD DRIVE UP FOOD PRICES, EXPERTS SAY

“I think that most of the time, what we see with other types of inflation . . . it never really comes back down as low as it was in a pre-inflationary period, which is where we just get this kind of ongoing sense of a tougher economy,” Korsmo said.

Customers at a restaurant at the Ferry Building in San Francisco, California, US, on Friday, May 31, 2024. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Sylvain Charlebois, professor and senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, highlighted that surcharges can be adjusted or removed as costs fluctuate, whereas menu price changes are more permanent and noticeable.

“Customers tend to react more negatively to visible price hikes than to separate fees, even if the net cost remains the same,” said Charlebois. “While consumers may dislike extra fees, surcharges provide transparency by itemizing specific costs, such as supply chain disruptions, labor expenses or credit card processing fees,”

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Forrest Leighton, senior vice president of marketing at customer intelligence platform Chatmeter, told FOX Business that many restaurant customers are questioning the value of higher-priced menu items.

Chatmeter helps restaurants analyze customer feedback to inform decisions around menu items, prices, and operations. Its data shows that the number of pricing-related reviews calling restaurants “overpriced” rose more than 40% in 2024, while the number mentioning the word “cheap” dropped over 10%.

However, surcharges can provide customers with transparency around why the price is going up, which helps make it more palatable, Leighton said, adding that loyal customers are less likely to walk away from a price increase they deem to be temporary and beyond the brand’s control, which surcharges often are.

Diners on the outdoor patio of a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Max Chodorow, one of the owners of Jean’s in New York City, told FOX Business that he wished he could add a surcharge, but legally, he can’t in the city.

“Our costs are constantly growing, and there’s only so much we can raise prices with consumer psychology,” Chodorow said.

Chodorow said that a surcharge is easier to implement because people primarily react to sticker shock of the menu price. The only surcharge that restaurants are allowed to apply in New York state is an auto gratuity on parties over a certain size or special events, and it needs to be disclosed to the customer along certain guidelines, according to Chodorow.

They are not allowed to do anything with the fee “beyond pass it directly to tipped employees,” Chodorow said.

February 7, 2025
Waffle House, other companies add egg surcharge amid shortage

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants founder and CEO Cameron Mitchell unpacks the impact of the the disease on the cost of goods on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

Consumers are not only feeling the effects of high egg prices at the grocery store. Now, they’re facing surcharges at restaurants.

Ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) “is making eggs as expensive for restaurants as they are for consumers, according to National Restaurant Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs Sean Kennedy, who noted that the “price increase is especially hard for breakfast-focused restaurants to manage.”

A prime example is the Waffle House, a Southern breakfast food chain Waffle House that implemented a temporary .50 per egg surcharge to all of its menus on Monday.

The company blamed the ongoing egg shortage caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) — or bird flu — for the dramatic increase in egg prices, saying that “consumers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions.”

EGG PRICES AREN’T COMING DOWN ANYTIME SOON, EXPERTS SAY

In an aerial view, a Waffle House restaurant on July 30, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. ( Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Experts have long warned that egg prices are likely to remain high as outbreaks of HPAI — or bird flu — continue to impact the U.S. laying hen flock, leading to higher prices in stores. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has predicted that egg prices, which can vary significantly from month to month, will increase by more than 20% by 2025.

According to the USDA, prices were 36.8% higher in December 2024 than a year earlier, but they were still below peak prices in January 2023.

Waffle House said, “Rather than increasing prices across the menu, this is a temporary targeted surcharge tied to the unprecedented rise in egg prices,” the company said, adding that eggs will remain a key ingredient in its menu.

A customer shops for eggs in a Kroger grocery store on August 15, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images / Getty Images)

With more than 1,900 locations in 25 states, predominantly in the Midwest and the South, the company said it hopes “these price fluctuations will be short-lived” but that it cannot predict how long this shortage will last.

BIRD FLU VACCINE: WHAT TO KNOW

It plans to monitor egg prices, and “will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.”

Roosters roam on a farm on Jan. 23, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Kennedy noted that when shortages arise, operators will collaborate closely with their food suppliers to assess the impact, and subsequently, they will explore various options to mitigate the financial repercussions. This may involve altering their menus and raising prices. Kennedy also mentioned that the association is assisting operators in navigating this situation.

Eric See, the owner and chef of the New York-based Mexican café and bakery, Ursula, told FOX Business that the prices of whole eggs have doubled, while the cost of liquid eggs has risen by about 25%.

The other issue, according to See, is that eggs are hard to come by. “Availability is another issue, they arent always in stock,” said See.

Large amount of Cage Free eggs at Costco store, Florida. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)

James Wong, co-owner of the San Francisco bakery Breadbelly, told Eater that his prices have surged by 150% over the past four months as a result of the nationwide outbreaks.

Wong said the bakery, which sells breakfast sandwiches, may be forced to cut back on menu items since sourcing the right size of eggs has proven difficult as well.

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“If we can’t get the right size egg, then it’s a different product for the customer,” he told the outlet.

FOX Business’ Kristen Altus contributed to this report.

February 5, 2025
Egg prices aren’t coming down anytime soon: experts say

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants founder and CEO Cameron Mitchell unpacks the impact of the the disease on the cost of goods on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

Elevated egg prices are expected to persist throughout 2025 as supply shortages continue, according to industry experts.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicted that egg prices, which can fluctuate significantly month to month, will rise by more than 20% in 2025.

The outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) – or bird flu – that began in 2022 and have persisted into 2025, are to blame. Experts tell FOX Business that cases of bird flu have significantly reduced the U.S. laying egg flock, which is pushing prices higher at the store.

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To put this in perspective, prices were 36.8% higher in December 2024 than they were a year earlier, although they were still below peak prices in January 2023, according to the USDA.

“When detections are high, lower egg supplies will drive prices higher,” Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Foundation, told FOX Business, adding that “egg prices have been riding the waves of avian influenza since this outbreak began and this is likely to continue.”

Egg cartoons at Key Food in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan on Jan 27, 2025. (Fox News / Angelica Stabile / Fox News)

Nelson estimated that more than 136 million birds have been affected by avian influenza since 2022. In December, there were over 18 million birds affected, which he said led to “bare grocery shelves in some places and widespread higher prices.”

Kevin Bergquist, Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute sector manager, also raised concerns that the recent rash of even more bird flu cases in late 2024 and thus far in 2025 are still driving the flock numbers lower.

The issue is when bird flu is detected, the entire flock is depopulated to prevent the disease from spreading and to ensure no infected birds enter the food supply.

The USDA said the disease is highly contagious with one bird being capable of spreading it “from flock to flock within a matter of days.” Depopulating or euthanizing affected animals is “one of the most effective ways to stop disease spread and protect U.S. animal health as a whole,” the agency said.

Egg cartoons at Key Food in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan on Jan 27, 2025. (Fox News / Angelica Stabile )

US EGG PRODUCTION DROPS AS PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE ALONG WITH BIRD FLU CASES

Nelson and Bergquist said it takes several months to sterilize the layer facilities and repopulate the location with birds capable of laying eggs.

Egg cartoons at Key Food in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan on Jan 27, 2025. (Fox News / Angelica Stabile / Fox News)

“Often, laying hen operations are concentrated with well over a million birds located on a single site. So, if HPAI hits a particular location, that whole flock is lost,” Bergquist said. The loss of many hens also puts pressure on the supply of new chicks, he added.

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Even after a detection is resolved, there is a mandatory quarantine period of 21 days. Then, a chicken needs to be about 18 weeks old before it can begin to lay eggs, meaning it takes more time to bring a flock back into production, Nelson said.

Bergquist said it is likely that additional bird flu outbreaks will occur in the next few months, which “resets the number of laying hens lower, sometimes by millions of layers at a time. Fewer birds mean fewer eggs, sustaining the pricing pressure,” Bergquist added.

January 31, 2025