LEWES, Del. — At Lloyd’s Market in Lewes, Steve Holohan has never seen egg prices this high in his four years working there.
“Eggs are a staple, so you’ve got to have eggs in your house,” said Holohan.
More than 13 million hens across the country have been lost or slaughtered since December due to the bird flu outbreak, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In the past year, the average price for a dozen eggs has increased 50%, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With several of Lloyd’s usual suppliers running out of eggs entirely, Holohan has had to turn to local sources.
“We’ve had to raise our prices almost 40 percent,” Holohan said. “We try to make it as affordable as we can, but we also can’t give them away. And getting them is hard.”
On Feb. 6, some cartons of eggs at LLoyd's were over 10 dollars.
Larger grocery stores are also struggling with the shortage.
The ACME in Rehoboth Beach had shelves running low on eggs on Feb. 6 and a sign to customers explaining the disruptions in supply.
Restaurants are feeling the pinch as well. Lisa McDonald, owner of Nectar Cafe & Juice Bar, a breakfast and lunch spot, said rising costs could eventually force her to raise menu prices.
“I can bear it right now because it’s the off season,” McDonald said. “But once we start really gearing up for the season, I can’t afford to not be getting the profit margins that I need.”
For now, customers will have to shell out more for eggs—hoping prices crack before breakfast becomes a luxury.