Chicago restaurants, consumers paying more for eggs amid bird flu outbreaks

Evelyn Holmes Image
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Restaurants, consumers paying more for eggs amid bird flu outbreaks
Chicago restaurants and consumers are paying more for eggs amid multiple bird flu outbreaks. Health experts have issued warnings.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Scrambled or sunny side up, a breakfast staple may cost more in part because of the avian influenza, or the bird flu, which has been spreading for months.

A popular South Side restaurant has already been paying more for eggs.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Chicago's Home of Chicken and Waffles goes through cases of eggs a day and has seen their expense nearly double from $60 a case to closer to $150 a case.

"We have our famous five-egg omelet and we also have our skillet, so we sell a lot of eggs," said Brian Mills, Chicago's Home of Chicken and Waffles general manager. "We do a lot of breakfast business, so we're just doing all we can to not raise the rates on customers."

A dozen large grade-A eggs cost an average of $4.15 in the U.S. last month, according to data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's a nearly 37% increase from a year before. It's also a much larger jump than the 2.5% increase in overall food prices.

Experts with the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors are keeping a close eye on the situation.

This month, an outbreak wiped out the entire flock of chickens at a farm is south suburban Matteson.

Two animals at the Lincoln Park Zoo, a flamingo and a seal, died from the disease.

Bird flu naturally spreads among aquatic fowl and wild birds. Human cases of bird flu are rare, but can occur, experts said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still consider the public health risk low. But as the spread continues, there are concerns about a possible new mutation in the bird flu could cause it to be more easily be able to infect humans.

"Eating eggs is still safe in most cases, but they have to be prepared properly," said Dr. Stephany Lewis with the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

Officials are warning the public to not touch birds that look sick and report it to the authorities.

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.