Egg prices have skyrocketed across the US, with one state currently selling a dozen eggs for an eye-watering $10.
The food product has been hit so hard by inflation that price increases have been given their own name: ‘Eggflation’.
One of the main factors behind the recent price increase is the damage caused by the growing outbreak of bird flu.
That, along with the high demand for eggs during the 2024 holiday season, has contributed to Hawaii’s rise $9.73 average egg price.
‘Eggs are very important, but if the price goes up, what can you do? Just go out there and hope for the best,” Honolulu resident Will Munar said KITV4 in 2024.
The average egg price in Hawaii is comparable to the $8.97 per dozen price tag in some parts of California.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), one of the reasons behind the price increase in California – similar to Hawaii – is a reduction in the supply of eggs.
The bird flu outbreak has wreaked havoc across the US since 2022, prompting restaurants in Hawaii to brainstorm ways to survive.
The average price of a dozen eggs in Hawaii is $9.73, which is the highest price in the US
The two Moke’s Bread & Breakfast restaurant locations in Honolulu and Kailua, Hawaii, appeared to be making changes in 2023, as both locations were using about 5,000 eggs per week.
“We’re looking at alternative options, maybe changing the menu a little bit to highlight some different ingredients and different items,” Moke’s Bread & Breakfast owner Keola Warren shared. KHON2 at the time.
‘We use a lot of eggs, 300 to 500 a day. So that small increase impacts a lot of our local operations,” assistant manager Shawn Thomas of Aloha Kitchen in Honolulu told KITV 4.
“We’re a breakfast place, so we can’t charge people too much even if the price goes up.”
Grocery stores in Hawaii offer mainland eggs, which are usually cheaper than local eggs due to mass production and lower shipping costs.
Local eggs tend to be more expensive due to the high costs of production in the Hawaiian Islands.
Following the growth of egg inflation, some stores have started offering mainland eggs and local eggs for the same price.
Some supermarkets in Hawaii have started offering cartons of mainland eggs and local eggs for the same price
Hawaii’s business community is not the only one affected by the damage caused by egg flatting.
Cara Haltiwanger, a business owner from California, is struggling to keep her business open after opening her breakfast sandwich restaurant in November 2024.
‘It’s killing me. I’m an egg restaurant, I have to buy eggs no matter what, you know?’ Haltiwanger said SFGAAT.
‘I don’t change the amount of eggs we serve, or the prices, I just take it on the chin. I don’t know what else to do, I just opened.”
Hoyul Steven Choi, owner of 20 restaurants in California, revealed that he has never seen anything like this in his 22 years in business.
“Egg prices have always fluctuated, but this is insane,” he told SFGATE.
“We are in a position to negotiate because of our volume, but this week it is currently $139 per box. A few years ago it was $20 to $40.”
Choi added that the problem is getting worse every year.
‘All you can do is reduce service and increase prices, but there is no more room to increase. If we raise them, people can’t afford it.”
California restaurant owner Cara Haltiwanger currently spends between $100 and $150 for a crate of 180 eggs
Haltiwanger currently buys eggs from 180 cases at stores like Restaurant Depot, Smart & Final and Costco.
California restaurant operators typically pay between $100 and $150 per case.
Shoppers in Chico, California, who want to buy smaller packs of eggs may encounter a carton of 18 of Great Value brand eggs for $9.52 at Walmart, according to Fox Business.
The Walmart location in Chico, California also listed 12 pieces of Great Value eggs for $7.22.
The USDA points out in its Jan. 3 Egg Markets Overview that supermarkets in California, along with other U.S. states, have made changes to address egg inflation problems, including limiting the amount of eggs customers can purchase during each visit.