Why did Denny's and Waffle House add egg surcharges?
They added surcharges due to a spike in egg prices caused by avian flu outbreaks that led to a shortage of egg-laying chickens.
Business / Consumer Trends
Denny's and Waffle House, two popular breakfast chains, have recently removed the egg surcharges they had implemented earlier this year. This decision comes as egg prices are falling back to normal levels after a spike caused by outbreaks o...
In early 2025, outbreaks of avian flu led to the mass slaughter of egg-laying chickens, causing a significant disruption in the egg supply chain. This scarcity drove egg prices to unprecedented levels, forcing restaurants like Denny's and Waffle House to implement temporary surcharges to offset their increased costs.
As bird flu cases declined and egg production began to recover, prices started to fall. Increased imports and government biosecurity assessments further contributed to stabilizing the market. The removal of surcharges by Denny's and Waffle House reflects this stabilization and offers consumers a break from inflated breakfast costs.
The Waffle House Index, an informal metric used by FEMA to gauge hurricane damage, highlights the importance of this chain in the Southeast. The egg surcharge, in a way, became a 'misery index' reflecting broader frustrations with rising food prices.
They added surcharges due to a spike in egg prices caused by avian flu outbreaks that led to a shortage of egg-laying chickens.
Waffle House removed its surcharge on June 2, 2025, and Denny's removed theirs on May 21, 2025.
A decrease in bird flu cases, increased egg imports, and government biosecurity assessments helped stabilize egg prices.
The average price of a dozen Grade A eggs hit a record high of $6.23 in March 2025.
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