PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — With the bird flu forcing the prices of eggs up, local restaurants are finding it difficult to avoid passing those costs on to their customers.
On the corner of 15th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue in the heart of North Philadelphia sits Champ’s Diner, known for its red velvet pancakes, shrimp and grits, and other breakfast specialties. The restaurant is popular with neighbors and Temple students.
Champ’s owner, Jimmy Yang, said he goes through about 300 dozen eggs each week. And at that quantity, the sticker shock he’s experiencing is far greater than what the average person is experiencing at the grocery store.
“It’s been going up on a consistent basis, and right now it is the highest it’s ever been — ever,” Yang said. “It used to cost $1.50 to $2 a dozen. Now, it’s $6 minimum per dozen.”
Yang said he’s doing his best to avoid passing that higher cost on to his customers.
“We are taking the brunt of all of that price increase,” he said. “The economy in this area is not that great. A lot of people are having a tough time, and we just can’t keep going up on prices.”
For other restaurants, like the Classic Diner in Malvern, Chester County, the egg shortage has forced them to add surcharges to their menu.
“We probably go through 400 to 450 dozen a week,” said co-owner Krissy Flynn.
“What we’ve been doing is running around like crazy to find them, but our main vendors—they are changing like $8 a dozen right now.”
She said they tried to hold out on a price increase but ultimately had no choice.
“We’re charging 50 cents extra a platter, which—I don’t even know if that’s making up for what we’re paying for the eggs, but we had to do something,” Flynn said. “Luckily nobody’s been complaining about it, and hopefully it’s just temporary.”