Waffle House Takes Its Egg Surcharge Off the Menu
USDA’s 5-pronged approach to controlling bird flu outbreaks, focused on biosecurity and not culling, appears to be working well.
In an important sign that the American economy is improving as Bidenflation recedes, the iconic southern breakfast chain Waffle House is ending its 50-cent “egg surcharge,” in response to increasing supplies from a poultry industry recovering from the winter wave of bird flu.
Waffle House announced “egg-cellent news” for their customers’ wallets. The casual dining chain is dropping the temporary 50-cent surcharge for eggs from its menu after five months, effective immediately.
…Earlier this year, the Georgia-based restaurant chain — which has more than 2,000 locations across 25 states — implemented a “temporary targeted surcharge” tied to the “unprecedented” rise in egg prices, rather than increasing the price of all menu items.
But with the national average wholesale price of eggs being down 7% — at just $2.54 per dozen last week, according to the latest United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Egg Markets report — Waffle House no longer has to upcharge.
Egg-cellent news…as of June 2, the egg surcharge is officially off the menu. Thanks for understanding! pic.twitter.com/xXE6giZhRe
— Waffle House (@WaffleHouse) July 1, 2025
Back in February, the chain opted for a targeted surcharge rather than a broad menu price increase, reflecting the direct impact of egg market volatility. A wise move if Waffle House was gambling that the Trump administration’s approach of relying on the Department of Agriculture to take the lead in handling the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) pandemic was going to be more effective than the massive culling of our poultry that was Team Biden’s approach.
As I noted earlier this year, President Trump’s Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins enhanced biosecurity measures and targeted containment strategies. She recently issued a very positive update on how the plans were working.
After reaching a record high due to the Biden Administration’s lack of action, wholesale egg prices have now dropped 64%, with retail prices falling 27% from their peak earlier this year. We must remain diligent, and egg farmers and producers can continue to utilize USDA resources to conduct biosecurity assessments before the Fall.
“When President Trump entered office, the cost of eggs was at a record high, seriously denting consumers’ wallets after years of awful inflation. On my first day as Secretary, we got to work to implement a five-pronged strategy to improve biosecurity on the farm and lower egg prices on grocery store shelves. The plan has worked, and families are seeing relief with egg prices driving food deflation in the April Consumer Price Index,” said Secretary Rollins.
“While we are proud that over 900 biosecurity assessments have been conducted to date, resources remain available, and we are urging poultry farmers of all sizes to get your assessments done today before a potentially challenging fall.”
I also find it fascinating that the “bird flu” scare has essentially dropped off the media’s radar. Furthermore, the last case of human infection with HPAI was in February of this year and only 70 human cases have been recorded during the 3 years that this virus made its way into the wild (likely from an accidental laboratory release).
Part of the 5-prong plan involves a vaccination program that the USDA is planning to unveil later this month.
According to early drafts, the vaccination protocol may involve an initial dose administered early in a bird’s life, followed by a booster during development. Routine surveillance testing would be implemented to monitor effectiveness and detect any outbreaks. Notably, even vaccinated flocks testing positive for HPAI would still be culled to maintain trade confidence.
Experts emphasize that the success of the plan hinges on clear guidelines regarding when to initiate and halt vaccinations, how to track vaccinated flocks, and how to integrate surveillance data. Dr. Ben Wileman of Select Genetics highlighted these concerns during the 2025 PEAK show, stressing the need for a robust and transparent implementation strategy.
Here’s hoping that the USDA approach has continued success, and that the American poultry industry (as well as the cattle ranches and dairy farms) no longer have to sacrifice animals and resources fighting a virus that never should have existed in the first place.
Image by perplexity.ai.
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Comments
I miss not living close to a Waffle House now. Love anytime breakfast.
They should be called hash brown house if we are talking about best item on the menu.
Now I want pecan waffles.
My wife always gets one with a side order of bacon.
I get a regular waffle, cooked a while longer than normal, and bring a bottle of real maple syrup. HEAVEN!
WH has really good grits as well.
Grits, fried egg, and a good linkoff sausage. Mmmm
The famous Linkoff sausage? From the farms of Ivan Linkov, but with the name, Americanized?
My kingdom for an edit button!
My liege, you are King. You do not need an edit button!
We know what you meant.
Just be having a bit of fun.
And yesterday, at my local Kroger grocery store, store-brand eggs were again UP to $7.99 per dozen, large.
Wow, where are you at? Here large white are under $3 dozen. I think I just paid $2,69
Kroger implies California…:? Even just over the line in Arizona, they’re all Fry’s.
I voted for this.
This will help Republicans in 2026.
It will help a lot more Democrats tomorrow morning.
But they’ll never link the cause to the effect.
Bon âppetit, habitués.
I’ve heard that there’s a waffle House someplace here in Tucson. I’m going to look for it. We have two Denny’s in my sort of immediate area. Twice in one I was ignored. The other one I went to one night I asked for chicken fried steak. It was obvious that they had reheated another portion and it was so greasy. I couldn’t eat it. I normally have very good luck in Denny’s but the local ones have not said a good example.
There are two, actually. Both just off I-10 at the 259 and 264 mile markers.
Found them and thanks.
I think there are two near Phoenix, then nothing between there and Canada. It’s not like the Southeast, where there’s one at every exit, almost more than Jack in The Boxes in Hawaii.
Ahh, the old days of pulling all-nighters at the office and going to waffle house sometime in the small hours of the AM for all you can eat…
55 years ago in college, it was Friendly’s, out on Soldier’s Field Road.
We used to give them a hard time about the sign outside about their “Fast And friendly Waitresses” until the management finally got a clue.
Variation: coming off second mid-watch in “A” school at NAVTECTRACEN Pensacola i’m going to the waffle house just outside the main gate. The W a waffle house was burned out for a long time, so of course we called it awful house.
Damned speech to text. The W on the sign on the waffle house was burned out…
There’s only one Waffle House in New Mexico and it’s in Albuquerque, near the Sunport which would be nearly a 3 hour drive. So no more breakfast at 3AM for me.
Ah. 3 AM in Boston was harder than Friendly’s. That called for Mondo’s, a gypsy restaurant that moved very year or so, never had signage, you had to know somebody who knew where it had moved to. A hole in the wall in Chinatown one year, then down to the docks, then somewhere else I can’t recall. They offered what they called the Farmer’s Breakfast — three eggs any style; hash browns; ham, bacon, or sausage; toast; coffee; and OJ,,, all for (drum roll) $1! The catch was, it was only offered between midnight and 5 AM. For that price, we did a LOT of Mondo’s.
It seemed like yesterday when Democrats couldn’t open their mouths without talking about soaring egg prices as a way to attack Trump. Like so much nonsense they spew it’s now off the radar.
Trump has not waffled in bringing home the bacon by freeing us from the yoke of this shortage. He will never chicken out.
It’s mighty white of him. He hams it up a lot but still brings home the bacon without making a hash of things.
I’ve seen some interesting people in WH in the early morning hours. Double order of hashbrowns scattered, smothered, covered, and topped, ftw.
What I have always appreciated about waffle House is this: I can go into virtually any of them and the staff and each one treats me like family. Quite a nice group of people. As for interesting people, I’ve seen interesting ones, but I’ve also seen a lot of tragedy. I am both shocked and in all the way a lot of people can fall so far and be such hopeless cases. It’s very sad.
Depending on where you are at it’s either Denny’s or Waffle House late night Friday or Saturday. Nothing like a good drunkin brawl where the employee’s join in for some excitement.
In Memphis or Jackson, it is most likely LaPrecious throwing down with Shaniqua. Let the condiments, chairs, napkin dispensers, and silverware fly!
Just label them “Market Price” like a fancy seafood restaurant.
Not long ago I was at a Waffle House and had to leave so asked for a bag. Lady took my stuff to put it in a box then bag. I went to pay and grabbed the bag. Halfway home I opened it and found about 2 lbs of raw bacon in it. Who orders raw bacon?
Garfield.
Waffle House on Windy Hill in Marietta, on a early Saturday morning, the strippers for the Atlanta clubs would get together to have breakfast and compare the overnight receipts.