In the last forty years of owning and operating his diner, Nicky Geanopulos said, never before have egg prices been so high.
“It’s difficult to make it with such an increase,” Geanopulos said. “Everything is increasing.”
Nicky’s sits in the lobby of the Grant Street Building and serves breakfast to a flurry of Pittsburghers, from police officers to out of town visitors.
A staple of that breakfast is eggs.
The ongoing nationwide bird flu outbreak has egg prices stuck at a record high of $4.95 per dozen in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. One waitress estimated that the cost of Nicky’s bulk egg shipments has doubled.
Over 162 million birds in all 50 states have contracted bird flu, according to recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) figures. Both commercial and hobbyist chickens are tallied under that number.
On Feb. 20, a farm in Butler County reported that its flock of around 300 birds are infected with bird flu. Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland County have also reported cases.
While officials estimate there is little danger to consumers, it is still hurting their wallets.
The USDA estimates that egg prices will rise over 20% by the end of 2025 due to rampant bird flu cases.
Downtown grocery stores are selling a dozen eggs for around $6, as of reporting. Target’s Downtown store posted a memo stating they are “actively seeking additional supply” to reduce rising egg prices.
Many restaurants, especially diners like Nicky’s, have increased their prices to compensate for the financial hit brought on by the egg shortage. Waffle House announced that it would add a $0.50 surcharge per egg on Feb. 4.
Geanopulos is now grappling with whether or not to add a surcharge to dishes that use eggs, he says.
“I will probably just do a little surcharge if I can,” Geanopulos said. “I’m trying to eat it, hopefully they’ll drop.”
Most of Nicky’s popular menu items use eggs. Omelets use three eggs, and their waffle mix takes 12.
Despite all this, Geanopulos is hopeful that Nicky’s will make it through.
“I don’t plan to go anywhere,” Geanopulos said.
Alihan Hanoglu, owner and head chef of Alihans’s, says it’s not just the egg.
“Eggs are not that bad, it’s like anything can go up or go down,” Hanoglu said. “The real issue is chicken.”
Whole chicken has gone up 3.7% since January 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. It now costs $2.06 per pound in cities, on average.
Alihan’s encompasses two restaurants: a coffee and breakfast place and Mediterranean cuisine establishment. The Mediterranean restaurant’s menu includes a few chicken items, including kebabs and sauté.
President Donald Trump’s administration has begun implementing measures to mitigate rising egg prices.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced on Feb. 26 that $1 billion would be invested both to stop the spread of bird flu and bring egg prices down.
Of that $1 billion, $500 million was allocated to “biosecurity measures” to mitigate the spread of disease, $400 million for financial relief to affiliated farms and $100 million to research vaccines for bird flu.
