How Inflation Is Hitting a New York City Breakfast Staple

New York Times

31-05-2025

How Inflation Is Hitting a New York City Breakfast Staple
By Matthew Haag Photographs by Adrienne Grunwald May 31, 2025
A bacon, egg and cheese sandwich is a classic New York City dish, served fast and nearly everywhere. At a bodega in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, the price of the breakfast staple (on a roll) recently rose to $5, up from $4.50. It was the first increase since 2019.
Freddy and Yovanna Melo, the husband-and-wife owners of the bodega, El Vacilon Grocery, decided to raise the price after the cost of eggs soared during the first months of 2025. They used to pay between $2 and $3 for a dozen eggs but watched the price shoot up over $8. (A recent order cost about $3.96 per dozen.)
The sandwich is prepared with three slices of bacon, an egg and a slice of cheese, typically gooey American cheese. A 25-pound order of bacon costs nearly $100, while a five-pound block of cheese is $27.80. One hundred pieces of bread and rolls are delivered daily for $45.
The couple employs three workers, who make $16.90 an hour. Payroll is about 50 percent of overhead. The Melos own their building and pay a monthly mortgage of $4,900, as well as electricity bills ($3,000 during the summer). Property taxes are paid quarterly and amount to $4,088.
During the pandemic, the costs of all sorts of items sold in the bodega climbed and have remained elevated. Cold medicine doubled, for instance. The couple watch their costs very closely and aim for a profit margin of 20 to 30 percent per item, so they have had to raise prices across the board.
The Melos said they could not continue to operate their bodega had they not bought the building decades ago. The store's revenue has declined over 25 years to about $2,000 per day on average, down from $3,000. But they also collect about $6,200 per month in rent from four apartments above the store.
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A bacon, egg and cheese sandwich is a classic New York City dish, served fast and nearly everywhere. At a bodega in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, the price of the breakfast staple (on a roll) recently rose to $5, up from $4.50. It was the first increase since 2019.
Freddy and Yovanna Melo, the husband-and-wife owners of the bodega, El Vacilon Grocery, decided to raise the price after the cost of eggs soared during the first months of 2025. They used to pay between $2 and $3 for a dozen eggs but watched the price shoot up over $8. (A recent order cost about $3.96 per dozen.)
The sandwich is prepared with three slices of bacon, an egg and a slice of cheese, typically gooey American cheese. A 25-pound order of bacon costs nearly $100, while a five-pound block of cheese is $27.80. One hundred pieces of bread and rolls are delivered daily for $45.
The couple employs three workers, who make $16.90 an hour. Payroll is about 50 percent of overhead. The Melos own their building and pay a monthly mortgage of $4,900, as well as electricity bills ($3,000 during the summer). Property taxes are paid quarterly and amount to $4,088.
During the pandemic, the costs of all sorts of items sold in the bodega climbed and have remained elevated. Cold medicine doubled, for instance. The couple watch their costs very closely and aim for a profit margin of 30 to 40 percent per item, so they have had to raise prices across the board.
The Melos said they could not continue to operate their bodega had they not bought the building decades ago. The store's revenue has declined over 25 years to about $2,000 per day on average, down from $3,000. But they also collect about $6,200 per month in rent from four apartments above the store.
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