Sky High Egg Prices Boost Other Food Costs; Restaurants and Bakeries Hit Hard

'It's a little bit challenging because we are a breakfast place and eggs are in almost every one of our dishes.'

Customers enjoy breakfast at the counter of historic Franks Diner, located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. With permission from Julie Rittmiller, co-owner

As the price of eggs continues to rise, so does the cost of other foods that contain eggs as an ingredient.

As previously reported by The Epoch Times, egg prices have been on the rise since the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as the avian flu or bird flu, which hit the United States last year. An estimated 58 million birds have died or been culled due to the current outbreak, according to the CDC.

Consumer Price Index data (pdf) released on Feb. 14 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed that in January of 2023, the cost of eggs was 8.5 percent higher than it was in December of 2022. Further, it was 70 percent higher than it was last January. As the price of eggs goes up, so does the cost of a host of other foods.

Eggs at a grocery store in Washington on Jan. 19, 2023. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Additional data from the BLS showed that food prices were up 10.4 percent in December, rising faster than overall inflation each month since July. Pasta prices have risen almost 15 percent. Cereals have gone up nearly 16 percent. Consumers have also seen price increases in baked goods. Cakes and cupcakes have gone up 13.5 percent. Cookies have gone up nearly 18 percent.

What do all of these foods have in common? Eggs.

Eggs are an ingredient in many foods, even foods that may not appear to contain eggs. Marshmallows are made from egg whites, and egg whites are often used as a binder in artificial crab meat. Whole eggs are used as a binder in meatballs and meatloaf. They bind bread crumbs and flour to fried foods like chicken. Tempura batter contains egg whites. Eggs are also an ingredient in ice cream, soups, pancake mixes, mayonnaise, and creamy salad dressings.

Even the price of dog food is soaring, as many popular brands of dry dog food contain eggs.

In the midst of a crisis that has been dubbed “egg-mageddon,” breakfast restaurants and bakeries have been hit particularly hard.

‘It’s a Little Bit Challenging’

Honeybear Café, a family-owned breakfast/brunch restaurant located in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, opened just before the pandemic. After clearing that hurdle, the restaurant was hit with the high cost of eggs. Amanda Marta, one of the owners, said it’s a challenge.

“Food costs went up,” Marta told The Epoch Times. “It’s a little bit challenging because we are a breakfast place and eggs are in almost every one of our dishes.”

Franks Diner, a registered historical landmark in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the oldest continuously operating lunch car diner in the United States, has been featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

Julie Rittmiller and partner Kevin Ervin have owned Franks since 2010. Rittmiller said egg prices have definitely affected their income, because “you can only take your prices up so high.”

A vintage photo of historic Franks Diner in Kenosha, Wisconsin. With permission from Franks co-owner Julie Rittmiller

Rittmiller said the highest she had paid for eggs pre-COVID was about $22 for a case of 180 eggs. “That was also at Easter time,” she explained “They go up around Easter because kids dye eggs, and they go up during the baking holidays. But that had been the highest we’ve paid.”

Due to today’s soaring egg prices, Rittmiller said her new high for a case of eggs was $90.

“The other thing people don’t talk about is that a lot of us [in the restaurant business] use egg products,” Rittmiller said. Processed and pasteurized liquid, frozen, or dried eggs, known as egg products, have also skyrocketed in price.

Sean Christie, chief operating officer of Florida Cracker Kitchen—one of Brooksville, Florida’s most popular breakfast restaurants—says “egg prices are insane.”

“Eggs for us [are] a major staple on our menu,” Christie told The Epoch Times. “We serve breakfast all day so we watch egg prices daily.”

As Christie explained, egg prices per egg—which is how the restaurant purchases them— have been as high as 65 cents.

“Now it’s 41 cents per egg, so it has come down,” Christie said. “But it used to be 21 cents per egg on average and the low was 15 cents. So it’s been difficult. The challenge is, do we pass this on to the guest or not? We here at Florida Cracker are under the idea that we’re not going to pass it on to the guest because we hope this is temporary. So we’re just eating it for now. But if it lasts much longer we'll have to have price increases on anything with eggs in it. But right now we’re holding strong.”

‘It’s Nuts!’

Peggy Williams and Debra Weiner, owners of Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery, located on the lower east side of Manhattan, New York, have been in the baking business for nearly 20 years.

“We use a lot of eggs here,” Williams told The Epoch Times with a laugh, “so it definitely makes things a little more challenging.”

Rosette cupcakes, baked by Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery, located on the lower east side of Manhattan, New York. With permission from owner Peggy Williams

As Williams explained, it’s not just the cost of eggs that has gone up. Every single item they use in running the bakery, from raw ingredients to packaging materials, has gone up in price.

“Eggs are just one thing in the long litany of things,” Williams said, noting that they did raise their prices recently. “We have to. It’s either a pumpkin blight or some kind of shortage or another. You just have to learn how to weather the storms.”

Jessica Beebe is the owner of Sugardarlings Cupcakes, which has four locations in Florida. She says egg prices have not had as much of an impact on her bakery as they have on other establishments.

“On any given day, I produce anywhere from 1,200 to 1,500 cupcakes,” Beebe told The Epoch Times. “When the cost of eggs started rising, we saw a big influx. But when it all boiled down, the increase in the cost of eggs only reflected a cost increase of about one penny per cupcake. So I’m on the other spectrum because 12 cents per dozen isn’t going to make or break me. But when you’re talking about a restaurant that does breakfast, then I think you are seeing a lot of struggle there.”

While egg prices haven’t had a big impact on Beebe’s business, the cost of eggs has handed a challenge to a bakery that caters to a human’s furry companions.

A customer of the Charlottesville Dog Barkery in Virginia, enjoying a custom-baked Neapolitan Treat. With permission from owner Rod Jackson

Rod Jackson, the owner of Charlottesville Dog Barkery in Charlottesville, Virginia, says egg prices have caused him to raise the price of his specialty cakes, cookies, and ice creams for pampered canines.

“My cakes used to be around $25 to $30,” Jackson told The Epoch Times. “I had to double my prices. There’s literally no way possible not to raise prices. The cost of one egg is 75 cents now. It’s nuts.”

Katy Knoer of Give Thanks Bakery, which has three locations in Michigan. Courtesy of Katy Noer

Katy Knoer owns Give Thanks Bakery, a European artisan bakery that has been in operation for over two decades. With three locations in Michigan—Rochester, Detroit, and Royal Oak—eggs are a costly but necessary commodity.

“We don’t use mixes in our bakery,” Knoer told The Epoch Times, noting that the bakery makes classic products from scratch in a European tradition. “Everything starts with eggs, flour, sugar, butter, and talent.”

When commodity prices fluctuate, Knoer says it hits the bakery hard, because its breakfast pastries, dessert pastries, cookies, muffins, and bread start with original ingredients. When she and her husband Dietrich took ownership of the business in January of 2021, a case of 15 dozen eggs was around $18.

“Earlier this year, we saw an all-time high of $90,” she said, adding that they are seeing price fluctuations with many ingredients. “But nothing has come close to the dramatic spike in egg prices. Eggs have been in a class all their own. It’s very challenging.”

When you add in the cost of fuel, labor, and dairy, Knoer said running the bakery can be a struggle sometimes. But she wanted to share “a mood of optimism.”

“This bakery has survived many economic challenges over the past two decades. But the future is bright,” Knoer said, noting that “the demand for old-world artisan products that are free of preservatives, with natural starters and high-quality ingredients, is remarkable.”

“So we will survive this,” she mused. “We will get through the storm. We’re here for the long haul.”