OLD HICKORY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Egg prices have more than doubled in cost since summer 2023. The nationwide increase in prices has not gone over easily at area diners, including one Middle Tennessee that serves hundreds of customers on weekends.
The cost is due in part to an outbreak of bird flu that’s led to supply disruptions. It has signaled a big problem for establishments like Flat Tire Diner in Old Hickory. Co-owners Tom Mead and Cheryl Caballero said the majority of menu items include eggs. This week, the business opted to slightly raise menu prices to keep up.
“As a business owner, I worry about it every day,” Mead said. “…Right now, it’s over $100 more [for] a case than it was three years ago. What we did for most of 2024 was we were actually buying eggs at Costco, but [for] the majority of January, eggs were not available at all, so we’ve just been stuck paying the higher price.”
The price spikes have affected not only local businesses, but chains as well. Waffle House announcing a temporary 50-cent surcharge per egg.
“We’ve had a lot of folks ask us if we’re a meat and three and we’ve gone down that rabbit hole of maybe instead of eggs we offer a choice of two proteins, a starch and bread,” Caballero said.
Egg prices increased more than 8% from November to December, according to the Consumer Price Index, and the issue appears to be far from over. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also forecast that egg prices could trend upward by at least 20% before the end of the year. Kevin Swain, who told News 2 he goes to Flat Tire at least three times a week, said now is the time to support local businesses.
“You’ve got people that work here that live in the community,” Swain said. “This is what makes America. Right here.”
While egg prices are top of mind for many right now, Cabellera told News 2 it’s not a new problem for those in the industry as prices have steadily grown for years. Regardless, the owners said they would push through — like they did during the pandemic.
“Covid was an incredibly difficult time in September of 2020 and this neighborhood around us took us in and they’ve been with us ever sense,” Caballlero said. “So, it’s just this fine high wire act.”
