By Emily Wyrwa
“When life gives you eggs, make an omelet,” so they say. But what do you do when you can’t find any eggs? Or when they cost so much you can’t afford them?
Bird flu outbreaks have caused egg prices to skyrocket. As of Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that more than 23 million commercial birds were infected by the avian flu, causing a massive impact on poultry trade. Restaurants, especially diners and breakfast spots, are paying the price.
Jeff Debonee, owner of the breakfast and lunch spot Sandwichworks in Newton Centre, cringes when someone orders an omelet. Or worse — when a “big guy comes in says, ‘Yeah, give me four scrambled eggs.’” He’s been in the restaurant business for 34 years, “but this is about as bad as [he’s] seen for any one item.”
“It’s a serious problem for us.” Debonee said. “You look for a light at the end of the tunnel, but I’m not sure that there is one anytime soon.”
Before COVID, Debonee said he could get a case of 15 dozen eggs for about $15. When the Massachusetts law requiring all eggs sold in the state to come from hens raised cage-free took effect Jan. 1, 2022, the prices went up to $30 for 15 dozen — “double the price, but nothing compared to where we are now,” he said. A month ago, prices rose to $65 for a case. Two weeks ago, cases were $93. Now? $118 a case.
“It’s a little worrisome because it seems like we’re still going in the wrong direction,” Debonee said. “I couldn’t get any from one distributor this week. So if it gets much worse, there just aren’t going to be any eggs.”
Debonee put a 50-cent surcharge on items like omelets and scrambled eggs. Specials that used to frequent the rotation like quiches are off the table — he’s trying to encourage diners to order things like pancakes where he can.
Mark Lidsky, manager of the Corner Café, said his restaurant also added a 50-cent surcharge. The breakfast and lunch spot — which features an entire “egg bowl” section on its menu — uses about 60 dozen eggs each week.
“Everybody’s talking about it,” Lidsky said. “A couple other stores around here haven’t been able to find eggs, and so they’ve come to us for eggs a couple times.”
Over at Cabot’s, a restaurant and ice cream shop on Washington Street, “we’re holding our own,” said general manager Theo Valas.
Valas’ main concern isn’t necessarily price—it’s what will happen if he can’t get eggs. As the bird flu decimates flocks across the country, wholesalers are reporting supply shortages.
“I think we’ll push through it like everything else,” Valas said. “We just come in and do the best we can every day and try to offer a quality product. And I think if the product is not there, then I would rather not offer anything else unless it’s to our quality standards. We’re luckily not there yet.”
Avian flu impacts chickens much like the flu does humans — they can suffer from lack of appetite, coordination, and energy, as well as coughing, sneezing and nasal mucus. It can cause a 90% to 100% mortality rate in chickens, according to the National Chicken Council, a nonprofit that advocates for the U.S. broiler chicken industry.
Rox Diner in Newton Highlands has always bought free-range local eggs. The issue has been scarcity, said owner John Fortim. Before the avian flu hit, Rox had contracted a price with its supplier for a dozen eggs — “brilliant business move, right? Well, not so fast,” Fortim said. The contract did not state a minimum number of cases the supplier had to sell the diner.
“The attempt is to try and cut volume in what we’re able to order, and that pushes us into the wild west with everybody else,” Fortim said. “It’s kind of knocking on our door, and it is hitting us, but it’s not as bad as it’s going to become.”
Fortim said he’s doing everything he can to avoid raising prices — particularly for the sake of his regular customers who eat at the restaurant daily. He wants to continue offering a communal space for his regulars, and knows that even small increases can mean the difference between coming in daily and weekly.
Kay Masterson, co-owner of Johnny’s Luncheonette, said she’s “sensitive to the economic diversity of people who rely on us,” which makes her weary about raising prices. So far, “we’ve managed OK,” she said, and she remains optimistic about the future.
Masterson thinks the diversity of the menu at Johnny’s — which includes all-day breakfast as well as plenty of soups and sandwiches for lunch — is protecting them from price shocks. She is empathetic toward smaller operations that may be feeling the strain more.
“I hope [patrons] will understand that each operation is different,” Masterson said. “And the stresses and strains financially on each place are different, so each owner is going to have to make the decision that’s right so they can keep their doors open.”
This story is part of a partnership between the Newton Beacon and the Boston University Department of Journalism
