Waffle House declared that, as a result of the avian flu driving up egg prices, it will be imposing a $0.50 premium on all eggs sold at its stores.
On Monday, the surcharge was implemented across its more than 2,000 outlets.
The comfort food chain claimed in a statement that the highly contagious illness that has impacted the poultry population and resulted in an egg shortage was the cause of the extra. The Agriculture Department’s most recent Egg Markets Overview reports that since December, more than 13 million hens have been lost or killed as a result of the avian flu outbreak.
Along with the usual consumer demand for eggs over the winter holiday season, market analysts and economists have pointed to the avian flu as the main cause of the price increase.
“Consumers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions,” the statement from Waffle House, Inc. stated.
Due to the increase in egg prices, the franchise stated that the $0.50 increase “is a temporary targeted surcharge” and that they “will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.”
“While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived we cannot predict how long this shortage will last,” the franchise stated.
Finding avian flu infections is crucial to the recovery of the food business and preventing the virus’s spread.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has encouraged labs to ascertain if hospitalized patients have the flu virus or only seasonal influenza within 24 hours of admission in order to aid with bird flu studies.
Although many hospitals have been sending out large quantities of flu samples for testing every several days, this advice has been in effect since last fall. By the time test results are returned, patients have frequently already been sent home, said Dr. Nirav Shah of the CDC.
Shah stated at a news briefing last month that it becomes increasingly difficult to pinpoint a possible source as time passes and recollections deteriorate. This can also imply that their close connections might not be eligible for Tamiflu or other prophylactic drugs.
The CDC stated last month that the seasonal flu is currently spreading in the United States, particularly in the West, throughout the Midwest, and deep into the Southeast.