Waffle House Drops Egg Surcharge as Prices Normalize

ATLANTA, Ga. — Waffle House has officially ended its 50 cent surcharge on eggs, a sign that egg prices are returning to normal. The surcharge was introduced in February when an avian flu outbreak led to record-high egg prices.

The Georgia-based chain, which serves about 272 million eggs per year across over 2,000 locations, announced the change in a social media post. “Egg-cellent news,” they stated, thanking customers for their understanding during the price surge.

The spike in prices resulted from the culling of tens of millions of egg-laying hens due to the avian flu, which disrupted supply. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins remarked, “Families are seeing relief with egg prices driving food deflation.” However, retail egg prices were still up more than 40% in May compared to the previous year.

Waffle House’s surcharge became a reflection of rising food prices across the country. Other breakfast chains like Denny's also faced similar challenges during this period. Ed Powers, who manages operations for the Broken Yolk restaurant chain, noted how quickly prices and availability changed, describing a period of uncertainty: “The price, it almost quadrupled. But also the availability. That’s where it got really scary. It was like, can you get them?”

Although Waffle House quietly dropped the surcharge about a month ago, the announcement came only recently. Denny’s removed its surcharge in late May, calling the decision “great news for Grand Slam lovers everywhere.” The American Egg Board has indicated it will take time to rebuild the nation’s egg supply, with current figures showing about 285 million egg-laying hens nationwide.

Despite this progress, officials urge caution as the avian flu threat remains. Rollins added, “We must remain diligent, and egg farmers can continue to utilize USDA resources to conduct biosecurity assessments.”