Local businesses are weighing their options to cope as record-high egg prices are expected to continue rising this year.
Several Arlington restaurants and bakeries have told ARLnow they are considering raising prices as they face increasingly high costs and, at times, shortages of the ubiquitous ingredient.
For Eclairons, a family-owned bakery in Rosslyn, egg costs have jumped nearly 70% since December.
“We’re kind of right now waiting to see if [prices are] going to go down, but they haven’t,” Operations Manager Maya Srour told ARLnow. “So if that’s the case, then we would definitely have to reevaluate our food costs and adjust our prices accordingly.”
The United States Department of Agriculture predicts egg costs will increase by another 41% this year. This comes after egg prices surpassed a nationwide record in January, with a dozen Grade A eggs costing an average of $4.95, amid an ongoing bird flu outbreak.
Eclairons, which goes through hundreds of eggs each month making baked goods and sandwiches, currently pays $127 for a case of 15 dozen — a jump from about $75 per case in December, which was already more expensive than average, Srour said.
As costs increase, the bakery may soon raise prices on certain items like egg sandwiches.
Dining establishments across the county have shared similar stories, Arlington Chamber of Commerce CEO Kate Bates told ARLnow.
“We have heard from member restaurants that rising food costs — particularly drastic increases in staple ingredients — have become a significant concern impacting their operations,” Bates wrote in an email. “For bakeries and restaurants alike, essential ingredients like eggs have seen sharp price spikes, adding to financial pressures.”
At Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe on Langston Blvd, manager Ann-Marie Turnage told ARLnow that her wholesale price for eggs “has gone up drastically.”
“Eggs are not something that you can stockpile, and eggs are one of our biggest purchases as a bakery,” she said. “We have been holding our prices and absorbing the price of the eggs but at some point, we will have to raise our prices.”
Costlier bills also hit Lyon Village brunch spot Simona Cafe, but for partner and director Tito Peña, finding eggs has caused more difficulties than paying for them.
Peña’s go-to egg vendor has experienced supply chain issues over the past few weeks, causing delivery delays and leading Peña to outsource from other brands.
The cafe relies on its breakfast service sales, which require about 40 dozen eggs each week to cater to large weekend crowds.
“Sometimes now when I go to order [eggs], it’s like, ‘hey, this won’t be available for another 10 days,'” he said. “Trying to shop around and always being a little nervous when I go to put the order in, about like, ‘hey, are they going to be available?’, is not great.”
Some establishments, like Cafe Kindred in Falls Church, are holding onto hope that they won’t have to raise prices. An egg surcharge would affect nearly the entire menu, co-owner Jen Demetrio told ARLnow.
“The restaurant industry is historically very good at pivoting, and finding solutions to continue to make the business work without affecting the guests too much,” she said. “We work diligently with our suppliers to find the best rates possible, and work hard to eliminate waste in other areas to reduce costs.”
Other restaurants have already started bumping up prices.
Ted’s Bulletin, a D.C.-area chain with a Ballston location, has introduced a temporary 75-cent surcharge on all egg dishes.
“Due to the nationwide rise in cost of eggs, we are applying a temporary increasing of $0.75 per breakfast entree containing eggs,” a menu message reads. “We thank you for your understanding.”
The change mimics similar surcharges at national franchises like Denny’s, which announced a 50-cent per egg surcharge last month.
Trouble sourcing and paying for eggs are just one of many economic difficulties local restaurants are facing these days, Bates said. Other challenges include “ongoing labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
She added that the Chamber is opposing a proposed meal tax increase in Arlington County’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
“At a time when inflation is already impacting spending habits, this additional tax would discourage dining out and place yet another strain on local restaurants,” Bates said.
And restaurants are not the only ones feeling the pinch: locals are also seeing elevated prices at the grocery store.
At Mom’s Organic Market on N. Veitch Street, the grocer’s top-selling eggs start at $5.29 for a dozen.
At an Aldi in Bailey’s Crossroads, one dozen eggs start at $5.90 and customers are limited to two cartons. At Harris Teeter in Ballston, a dozen Grade A eggs start at $5.49 and rise depending on factors like brand, quality and organic status.
At local grocer Westover Market, a dozen large organic eggs currently sell for $7.99.
