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Denny's is adding a surcharge to meals containing eggs, a company spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Voice on Monday, Feb. 24. The diner chain cited skyrocketing costs fueled by the bird flu outbreak.
The company said some locations will temporarily implement the surcharge due to rising egg prices, though the exact amount and which restaurants are affected will vary.
"Due to the nationwide egg shortage and increased cost of eggs, some of our restaurant locations will need to temporarily add a surcharge to every meal that includes eggs," a spokesperson said. "This pricing decision is market-by-market, and restaurant-by-restaurant due to the regional impacts of the egg shortage."
The spokesperson also said Denny's won't issue a list of which locations will have a surcharge because "this is a fluid situation." Waffle House is another diner chain that has said it will also add egg surcharges.
The added fees come as Denny's faces broader challenges, including an accelerated plan to close underperforming locations. The company recently announced it will shutter between 70 and 90 restaurants in 2025 — on top of the 88 it closed last year — bringing the total number of closures to nearly 180.
Denny's is shifting its business model as diners change their habits, especially with more opting for takeout orders rather than dining in restaurants. According to CNN, Denny's is planning to trim the number of items on its menu from 97 to 46 and will no longer require restaurants to be open 24/7.
Executives also told investors that Denny's isn't immune to the effects of inflation, which rose to about 3.0 percent in January, increasing operational costs. Egg prices alone surged 15 percent from December 2024 due to supply chain issues fueled by the bird flu outbreak.
Founded in 1954 as Danny's Donuts, Denny's operates about 1,300 locations nationwide.
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