The ongoing egg shortage is worsening, triggering thefts, purchase limits at grocery stores, and rising prices at restaurants. Some businesses on the East Coast have started charging extra for egg-based dishes, while in Texas, companies are offering rental hens to consumers looking for alternative sources of fresh eggs.
The crisis stems from the spread of avian influenza, which has forced farms to cull more than 150 million birds since 2022. Poultry infected with the virus must be euthanized, and eggs from those farms are discarded. With outbreaks continuing, egg supplies remain under severe strain.
In Seattle, thieves broke into a Korean-owned restaurant and stole 540 eggs.
According to KING5, the burglary occurred the morning of February 7 at Luna Park Café. Security footage showed two men arriving in a white van, breaking into an outdoor refrigerator, and stealing three boxes of eggs, a box of liquid eggs, as well as bacon, ham, and blueberries.
![Shoppers line up outside the Trader Joe’s at La Brea Avenue and 3rd Street on the morning of Feb. 8. Once inside, many wait in another long line to buy eggs. [Sangjin Kim, The Korea Daily]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/1-1487149470-1.jpg)
Restaurant owner Heong Park, who discovered the break-in through surveillance footage, said he rushed to the scene but the suspects had already fled.
“In 18 years of running this restaurant, I’ve never seen anything like this,” Park said. “Egg prices are already too high, and now they’re becoming impossible to get.”
A case of 180 eggs, which cost $30 two years ago, now sells for $120, he said.
Similar incidents have been reported elsewhere. In Pennsylvania, thieves stole 100,000 eggs—worth about $40,000—from a delivery truck.
At Trader Joe’s stores, weekend shoppers are forming long lines before doors open, hoping to buy eggs before they sell out. “If you’re not early, you won’t get any,” one shopper said. To manage demand, Trader Joe’s implemented purchase limits on Feb. 6, restricting customers to one dozen eggs per day.
“We want to ensure as many customers as possible can buy eggs,” a company spokesperson said.
At the Trader Joe’s on La Brea Avenue and 3rd Street in Los Angeles, customers queued outside before 8 a.m. on February 8. When doors opened, many rushed inside, forming another long line at the refrigerated section.
Costco has imposed similar restrictions, limiting purchases to three cartons per person for its 24- and 44-egg packs.
Some restaurants are adjusting their prices in response to the shortage.
Waffle House, the national breakfast chain, began adding a 50-cent surcharge to all egg dishes on Feb. 3. An omelet, which contains three eggs and is priced at $20, now comes with an additional $1.50 charge.
In Texas, some businesses are offering an unusual solution: hen rentals.
A company called Rent the Chicken delivers a small coop with two to four laying hens to customers’ homes. The service, which is also available in Los Angeles, starts at $695, according to the company’s website.
With no end in sight to the egg shortage, consumers are scrambling for solutions—whether that means paying more at the store, lining up early, or even keeping chickens in their backyard.
BY YOONJAE JUNG [jung.yoonjae@koreadaily.com]
