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

By Erin Davis

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."

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.

Erin Davis

Entrepreneur Staff

Freelance Writer

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Process

I Use the 6-Week Sprint Method For Better Product Development — and More. Here's Why You Need It, Too.

Discover how the six-week sprint model reshapes product development, eliminating backlogs, encouraging rapid iteration and fostering adaptability for startups to thrive in an unpredictable market.

Business Plans

Top 10 Business Plan Mistakes

When it comes to creating a business plan that attracts investors, these tips will help you get it right the first time.

Science & Technology

10 Apps and Tools to Make Your Small Business Better and More Efficient

When you don't have the resources to build custom solutions, you can rely on these affordable (or free) fixes.

Leadership

5 Ways Lean Teams Can Work Smarter and Get More Done

Make changes through scheduling, automation and workflow optimization to free up your team to do their very best work.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.