Some Chicago Restaurants Are Charging Extra for Eggs to Cope with Soaring Costs

Wishbone Leads the Way

Restaurants are feeling the pain of soaring egg prices, due to the biggest bird flu outbreak in a decade. Wishbone, near Fulton Market, recently added a surcharge of 75 cents on egg dishes and 50 cents on chicken items to offset skyrocketing costs.

Chef and co-owner Joel Nickson of Wishbone said the surcharge was added on January 25, “knowing this was not going to be a one-month problem.” The restaurant at 161 N. Jefferson St. tries to avoid raising menu prices, but egg costs are the highest he’s seen in 35 years of running Wishbone.

“At first people were making fun of me for doing it,” Nickson said of the surcharge. For the most part, Wishbone customers have been understanding about its surcharge, Nickson said. “They go to the supermarket and pay $5 to $6 for a dozen eggs too.”

Other Restaurants Follow Suit

Then Monday, the giant Waffle House chain announced a temporary surcharge of 50 cents per egg. Waffle House, based in Georgia, has more than 1,900 locations in 25 states, including a restaurant in Granite City and Collinsville.

Cebu, a Filipino American diner in Lake View, last week temporarily raised prices on brunch items with eggs. The restaurant added $1 to the price of breakfast burritos that normally cost $16 to $18. “Egg prices have tripled in the past couple of years with the current prices the highest they have ever been,” said Martin Tan, Cebu’s pastry chef and co-owner.

Challenges Ahead

Bird flu and sky-high egg prices are the latest challenge for restaurant owners, who have battled inflation, labor shortages and supply chain issues since the pandemic. Now, many are also coping with anxiety and uncertainty due to new policies ordered by President Donald Trump from tariffs to deportations of immigrants.

Yolk, a Chicago breakfast chain, plans to raise prices this month but has not finalized the amount, said Gianluca Pesce, Yolk’s director of marketing. The company has several Chicago locations, including in Wicker Park, Streeterville and South Loop. “We’re paying about 75% more per case of eggs compared to last year,” Pesce said.

Conclusion

As the bird flu continues to spread, it’s clear that egg prices will remain high for the foreseeable future. Restaurants are doing what they can to cope with the costs, from adding surcharges to temporarily raising prices. However, it’s unclear how long this situation will last, and what the long-term effects will be on the restaurant industry.

FAQs

* What is the cause of the high egg prices?
The bird flu outbreak is the primary cause of the high egg prices.
* Which restaurants have added surcharges or raised prices?
Wishbone, Waffle House, Cebu, and Yolk are some of the restaurants that have added surcharges or raised prices due to the high egg costs.
* How much more are restaurants paying for eggs?
Restaurants are paying about 75% more per case of eggs compared to last year.
* Will restaurants continue to raise prices?
It’s unclear how long the bird flu will last, but it’s likely that restaurants will continue to raise prices or add surcharges until the situation improves.