Is your favorite restaurant charging you extra for eggs? What to know about egg surcharges
Some restaurant chains in recent weeks have announced surcharges on menu items featuring eggs amid an egg shortage caused by the HPAI, more commonly known as bird flu, while other chains have decided to take on the burden of high egg costs themselves.
Popular breakfast chain Waffle House in early February implemented a temporary 50-cent per egg surcharge at its roughly 2,100 locations across the U.S. In a statement obtained by USA TODAY last month, the chain cited the "continuing egg shortage caused by HPAI (Bird Flu)" that has caused a "dramatic increase in egg prices."
In late February, Denny's also announced it was implementing a temporary surcharge to every meal that includes eggs. The company declined to release specific details on which of its over 1,300 locations would be affected, saying the pricing decision is "market-by-market, and restaurant-by-restaurant" due to the regional impacts of the egg shortage.
"This situation is continuing to evolve, and we are working closely with our procurement team and our franchisees to make decisions that are right for the business while maintaining value for our guests," Denny's said in a statement at the time.
McDonald's and Cracker Barrel, on the other hand, announced they would implement surcharges, with Cracker Barrel even offering customers "double pegs" on all egg dishes for a few days following the announcement. McDonald's also offered Egg McMuffins for just $1 in late February after their announcement.
'At Cracker Barrel, country hospitality is as important to us as a hearty breakfast – and that means not charging extra for eggs,' the restaurant and gift store chain said in a statement in early February.
USA TODAY reached out to multiple restaurant chains to ask whether they had plans to implement an egg surcharge. Here's what they said.
Among the companies that responded to USA TODAY's request for comment were Bojangles, First Watch, Wendy's, Starbucks, and CKE Restaurants Holdings, which owns and operates both Hardee's and Carl's Jr. All of them said they had no plans to implement egg surcharges.
Wendy's told USA TODAY it has "no plans to raise prices on eggs" and CKE also said it had no plans to implement a surcharge at Hardee's or Carl's Jr.
"We have not taken any pricing action directly related to eggs," First Watch said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY. "We continue to monitor the environment while keeping our customer top-of-mind." Bojangles also said it "does not have any plans for an egg surcharge at this time."
Starbucks told USA TODAY it will not be increasing menu prices this fiscal year as part of its "effort to ensure that every Starbucks visit is worth it for our customers."
Other companies, such as Subway, Taco Bell, IHOP, Burger King and Chick-fil-A, among others, either did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment or declined to comment.
Recall alert: Seabear Company recalls clam, salmon chowders over possible botulism contamination
The United States Department of Agriculture said in a report released last Friday the wholesale price of eggs had dropped by $2.70 to $4.15 per dozen.
The drop in price is thanks to the absence of major HPAI, or bird flu, outbreaks so far in March, according to the agency, and also the lowered demand for eggs in resistance to prices.
However, the USDA said the wholesale price decreases "have yet to be reflected at store shelves," and until they are, demand is expected to remain "dampened."
"Grocers have made progress in recent days in maintaining a more consistent stock of shell eggs but some of this is due to many offering little in the way of price incentives which helped to reduce or eliminate altogether much of the panic and opportunity buying seen in some markets in February," the agency said in the report.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Egg shortage: See which restaurants have implemented egg surcharges
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Starbucks price target raised to $95 from $85 at Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs raised the firm's price target on Starbucks (SBUX) to $95 from $85 but keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. The firm is encouraged by the increased clarity around the company's turnaround strategy with the faster-than-expected rollout of the Green Apron service model in its U.S. stores, though it also prefers to remain on the sidelines and believes that it will take time for these initiatives to materialize from a profit standpoint, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Confident Investing Starts Here:
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Social Security cost-of-living adjustment may be 2.5% in 2026, new estimate shows
The cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security could be 2.5% in 2026, based on the latest inflation data, new estimates show. That's up from last month's estimate of 2.4%, said Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst who forecasts 2026 COLA using monthly inflation data. A 2.5% increase would be the same gain beneficiaries received this year, but there's still time for the 2026 estimate to rise because the full impacts of President Donald Trump's tariffs are still unknown. "This estimate may rise with four more months of data still to come in before the 2026 COLA will be announced in October," Johnson said. Even though May inflation remained tame, most economists predict Trump's tariffs will raise inflation, which in turn, boosts the COLA. "Another month goes by with little evidence of tariffs, but the longer-term inflation challenge they pose remains," said Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Ken Kim, senior economist at KPMG, sees inflation peaking above 4% annually in the fall. That would be sharply higher than the 2.4% annual increase in the May consumer price index, a measure of average changes in goods and services costs. The average monthly Social Security check in May reached a record high $1,948.17. Based on that, a 2.5% increase would raise the monthly benefit by about $40.70. Roughly 75 million Americans, or about a fifth of the population, receive Social Security benefits. COLA is an annual adjustment to benefits meant to keep beneficiaries' purchasing power from being eroded by inflation. The final COLA for the following year is typically announced in October by the Social Security Administration. COLA is based on the percentage increase in the consumer price index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers from July through September of the last year as compared to the same three months of the current year. CPI-W tracks the overall inflation rate but can differ slightly. In May, annual CPI-W rose 2.2%, compared with the 2.4% rise in overall consumer prices. Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday morning. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Social Security COLA may be 2.5% in 2026, but tariffs could lift it
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Starbucks job offering up to six figures to travel, drink coffee
Starbucks job offering up to six figures to travel, drink coffee The salary range is up to $136,000 for the 12-month, full-time role. Show Caption Hide Caption Watch: Starbucks treats rooster to a 'cluck cup' Starbucks workers were stunned and overjoyed when a rooster named Fluffy made appearance at an Arizona drive-thru. If you love coffee, have the travel bug and are addicted to your phone, Starbucks may have the perfect job for you. Starbucks is hiring two content creators to travel to some of the company's most unique locations around the world, the coffee company announced on May 28. The creators' main responsibility will be to capture their experiences at these locations, which may include a Starbucks coffee farm in Costa Rica, the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan or coffeehouses in Tokyo, the company said in a news release. "The creators will highlight the care and craft that goes into every cup of Starbucks coffee as well as the diverse Starbucks experiences in communities around the world," Starbucks said in the release. With the full-time, yearlong roles comes a salary of up to $136,000, according to the job listing. The end of the hiring window is quickly approaching; here's what to know. Do you work for a great organization? Nominate it as one of America's Top Workplaces. What does a Starbucks content creator do? According to Starbucks' job description, the content creators will travel to 10-15 of the company's locations around the world over a one-year timeframe. In addition to the travel portion, the employees will be tasked with creating "engaging social content highlighting interesting, social-first stories focused on our global brand and product experiences," the description reads. The creative part of the role will include creating and pitching ideas, as well as editing and publishing videos for Starbucks' social channels. How to apply to be a Starbucks content creator Starbucks is hiring two content creators, including one current employee and one external candidate. The application window is open until June 13. Interested candidates can apply on Starbucks' website. The process also includes a video requirement — applicants must post a video on TikTok explaining why they are the right fit for the job. The video must be public and include #StarbucksGlobalCoffeeCreator in the caption. Applicants must be U.S. residents who are at least 18 years old with a valid passport. Outside of the travel associated with the role, it is a remote position. Starbucks content creator salary According to the job posting, the salary range for the content creator role is between $80,100-$136,000. Travel costs and expenses associated with work trips will be covered by Starbucks, the job description reads. Additionally, the role comes with insurance, paid vacation and retirement benefits. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
