(KTLA) – Denny’s will be adding a surcharge for meals that include the use of eggs at some locations due to rising costs from a nationwide egg shortage, the company has confirmed to Nexstar.
The diner chain did not announce which of its roughly 1,500 locations would impose the surcharge, saying “this pricing decision is market-by-market, and restaurant-by-restaurant.”
The company cited egg shortages caused by bird flu as the reason for the surcharges.
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“Denny’s remains committed to providing our guests with delicious meals they love at the value they expect,” reads a statement from the company, in part. “We do our best to plan ahead with our vendors on items like eggs to minimize the impact market volatility has on our costs and menu pricing.”
Denny’s has said its egg surcharges would be imposed on a “restaurant-by-restaurant” basis. (AP/Keith Srakocic)
The decision to implement egg surcharges at Denny’s restaurants comes after Waffle House announced its own surcharge on eggs earlier this month. But soon after Waffle House’s surcharges took effect, Cracker Barrel trolled the Georgia-based chain, saying it was “not very hospitable” of Waffle House to start charging extra. Cracker Barrel also confirmed it would not be raising the prices of its own egg dishes.
Egg prices in the United States are significantly more expensive than in 2024. Recent data from the Labor Department shows that the average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities reached $4.95 in January. The Agriculture Department predicts that egg prices could continue to soar this year.
An outbreak of the bird flu that began in 2022 is largely to blame for the skyrocketing prices. Anytime the virus is found on a poultry farm, the entire flock is slaughtered to help limit the virus’ spread. And with massive egg farms routinely housing more than 1 million chickens, just a few infections can cause a supply crunch.
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“Hopefully, hens will have start to develop some type of natural immunity to the bird flu, but we have not seen that yet and it will take many years for that to happen,” Patrick Penfield, a professor and supply chain expert at Syracuse University’s School of Management, told Nexstar in January.
Both Denny’s and Waffle House, meanwhile, have said their egg surcharges are intended to be temporary. Neither gave a time frame for when the surcharges may be removed.
“We understand our guests’ desire for value, and we will continue to look for ways to provide options on our menu, including our $2 $4 $6 $8 value menu, while navigating these rapidly changing market dynamics responsibly,” reads a portion of the Denny’s statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
