Egg prices have doubled for some in Boston. Here's why.
BOSTON - South Street Diner is an institution in Boston, where many customers come for the eggs. A shortage in the egg supply is driving up prices and that's not going over well with owner Solomon Sidell.
"Just about six weeks ago, middle of November, we started getting phone calls from US Foods," Sidell told WBZ-TV. "Our pricing has not changed at all. We have ingested the pricing to be able to make sure we can serve the customer at this time."
Bird flu and egg prices
The price of an egg has doubled for Sidell and his team now that the shortage has impacted their supplier. Chickens became ill with the avian flu. Roughly 40% of the country's hens are raised in cage-free facilities, and 60% of the bird flu cases were found in such farms. In addition to the price hike, Sidell also has to order two weeks ahead just to make sure the eggs keep coming.
"We have about just under a pallet of eggs, about 150 dozen left," said Sidell. "We buy those Friday morning, Saturday morning, and then by Monday morning they are gone, so we have to start the process again."
On a given weekend, they can go through 400 dozen eggs. Their busiest night of the year is New Year's Eve through New Year's Day.
"Punch in the gut"
"To have the highest prices for eggs for the year on your busiest day of the year, without your prices changing, is a punch in the gut," said Sidell. "I would prefer not to raise the prices during an inflation time."
He expects the shortage to end in mid-February. Right now, they have no plans to adjust their prices, but if the shortage continues past February, he says they will have to re-evaluate.
