The cost of a widespread bird flu outbreak is trickling down to consumers at grocery stores and, now, restaurants.
Waffle House just announced it will add a 50-cent charge per egg because of the “nationwide rise in cost of eggs,” national outlets report.
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North Carolina has the third-highest number of bird flu cases in the country, according to the state Department of Agriculture. That's largely due to an outbreak in Hyde County, where 3 million birds were infected at a commercial farm.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the virus is not considered a food safety threat, and infected birds are not in the food supply. However, the spread of bird flu means farmers have to kill healthy egg-laying birds, and the smaller supply is leading to higher prices.
Waffle House released in a statement: "While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived we cannot predict how long this shortage will last. We are continuously monitoring egg prices and will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.”
The Department of Agriculture predicts egg prices will soar another 20% this year.
Pam Medlin, owner of Pam's Farmhouse Cafe in Raleigh, said she has not yet changed prices for customers, but that means small businesses like hers will absorb the cost.
"We just have to swallow it and do whatever, try not to go up on the customers until time comes when we have to," Medlin said. "I know it goes up a lot, and it goes back down, but it went up and it has not come back down in a while."
WRAL tracking local egg prices
WRAL News updates a weekly grocery tracker with the price of eggs and other shopping cart staples. The price for a dozen store brand eggs is on the rise, as high as $6 at some local stores last week. Find the lowest prices here.