The ongoing nationwide egg shortage is forcing businesses to find creative ways to offset rising costs linked to an outbreak of bird flu, which has led to the slaughter of millions of egg-laying hens.
Some major restaurants have started charging extra fees for egg-based menu items, while certain stores are now offering "loose eggs" for sale to customers.
Popular breakfast chain Denny's has followed in Waffle House's footsteps by introducing a surcharge to every meal that includes eggs at some of its locations. In a statement, the company said the surcharge will vary "market-by-market, and restaurant-by-restaurant due to the regional impacts of the egg shortage." The statement didn't say how much the fees actually are.
Earlier this month, Waffle House added a 50-cent surcharge per egg on menu items containing eggs, a move aimed at managing the financial strain caused by egg prices that have skyrocketed in recent months.
While large chains are adjusting prices to protect their bottom lines, small businesses like Pamela's Green Deli in the Bronx are offering a community-focused response. The local bodega has started selling eggs individually, similar to loose cigarettes, allowing customers to purchase only what they need.
At Pamela's, you can get three eggs for $2.99, which owner Radhames Rodriguez says is a better than paying at least $12 for one carton.
"If you have $20 and you want to make breakfast for two or three people, and you're already spending $12 for one item, something, how are they going to buy the bread, the milk, the butter and all that stuff?" Rodriguez told CBS News.
"I've been in business for 40 years and I've never seen the eggs so high like that. When the people don't have the money like that, especially in this community, low-income, it's very hard for them just buy and pay that kind of money for a dozen eggs," he added.
The situation is largely the result of the bird flu epidemic, which has severely affected the availability of eggs. More than 23 million birds, including turkeys and chickens, were culled in January alone, pushing the total number of birds slaughtered since the outbreak began in 2022 to nearly 158 million.
In January, the average price for a dozen eggs hit a decade-high of $4.95 -- more than double the $2.52 consumers paid just one year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And prices are expected to keep rising, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasting an increase of up to 41% this year.