Waffle House Is Adding a Per Egg Surcharge: 'Restaurants Are Being Forced to Make Difficult Decisions' Egg shortages are causing prices to skyrocket.

Waffle House is famous for more than the food—the restaurant chain is used as a barometer to determine the severity of local storms and is pretty much the catalyst for Reddit's existence. It also sells 272 million eggs per year.

Now, those eggs are getting pricey, and the 24-hour roadside stalwart is making a statement about the breakfast staple—by adding a 50-cent surcharge (per egg) to orders nationwide. The pricing will affect all of the restaurant's locations (around 2,000 in 25 states).

Waffle House notes, "Rather than increasing prices across the menu, this is a temporary, targeted surcharge tied to the unprecedented rise in egg prices."

Due to bird flu, Waffle House is adding a .50 cent per egg surcharge to all menus @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/hpfn52RIlh

— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) February 3, 2025

Waffle House reps said the "continuing egg shortage caused by HPAI (bird flu) has caused a dramatic increase in egg prices."

"Customers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions," the statement added.

The chain also posted signs with the news in restaurants.

^{The Waffle House chain is now charging more for eggs around the country including the restaurant in Urbana, Maryland on February 04, 2025. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post | Getty Images)}

Egg prices have increased by 50% over the past year, and in some cities, like New York, customers might be paying $1 per egg at the grocery store—a dozen cage-free eggs at Whole Foods were selling for $11.99.

And it's not just hitting Waffle House.

Local news outlets from Tampa, Florida to Upstate New York report that area restaurants are grappling with rising prices by making changes in-house, from switching suppliers to even changing recipes.