Financing

Waffle House lifts 50-cent egg surcharge as prices fall

The full-service breakfast chain added the per-egg fee in February to help combat record egg prices.
eggs
Wholesale egg prices have fallen 67% since their March peak. | Photo: Shutterstock

Waffle House customers no longer have to pay extra for eggs.

The 2,000-unit breakfast chain on Monday announced that it has lifted its 50-cent per-egg surcharge, which it instituted in February to help manage sky-high egg prices.

“Egg-cellent news…as of June 2, the egg surcharge is officially off the menu,” Georgia-based Waffle House wrote on X. “Thanks for understanding!”

Egg prices hit a record high in March as an avian flu outbreak thinned flocks across the country. But supply has bounced back in recent months, bringing prices back down to earth. As of last week, wholesale prices were down 67% from their peak of about $8 for a dozen eggs, and retail prices were down 27%, according to the USDA.

That has provided some much-needed relief for restaurants dealing with all kinds of commodity inflation, particularly breakfast chains that buy a lot of eggs. 

An egg surcharge in place at some Denny's locations also came to an end in May, the chain confirmed Wednesday.

The surcharges came atop years of menu price hikes that have frustrated consumers and hurt restaurant traffic.

But not all breakfast chains chose to pass egg costs on to customers. Despite getting “hammered” on the bottom line, franchisees of 97-unit Eggs Up Grill elected to eat the cost in an effort to keep prices affordable, CEO Ricky Richardson wrote in a LinkedIn post in March.

And 24-unit Famous Toastery said it planned to steer customers toward limited-time offers such as French toast and waffles that use fewer eggs. 

Though egg prices have cooled, they’re still higher than they were a year ago. Many restaurants have said they expect the issue to last through 2025. 

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Wendy's faces more upheaval that it doesn't deserve

The Bottom Line: The fast-food chain early last year decided to replace a successful CEO with a restaurant industry outsider. That outsider has now left, leaving the company with more uncertainty.

Technology

Olo's restaurant tech odyssey will continue in private

Tech Check: After a rocky few years on the public markets, the online ordering giant will continue its quest for “hospitality at scale” under a new owner.

Financing

All restaurants are pricey in California, not just fast food

The Bottom Line: The state’s fast-food wage hasn’t driven up prices at limited-service restaurants, at least compared with full-service chains. That doesn’t mean it’s not expensive there.

Trending

More from our partners