Cracker Barrel has shown it isn’t afraid to take a whisk after indirectly calling out Waffle House for its temporary egg surcharge.
Waffle House, the Norcross-based 24-hour diner chain, had customers clucking earlier this week after announcing it would add a 50-cent charge to each egg ordered in its restaurants. A massive bird flu outbreak has forced egg farmers to kill millions of chickens in recent months, restricting the supply of eggs and causing prices to soar.
“Customers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions,” Waffle House said in a statement.
Instead of cracking under the economic pressure, Cracker Barrel saw an opportunity to turn up the heat and fry its competition. Not only will the country store-themed chain not pass along the price increase, it’s giving diners extra points in its customer loyalty app every time they order eggs.
“Egg surcharges? Never heard of it,” Cracker Barrel posted on social media. “Order eggs and get double the pegs now through next Wednesday, Feb. 12.”
Despite the snide remark, these egg wars are not exactly a fair fight. Cracker Barrel has a little over 650 locations nationwide, while Waffle House has more than 1,900. The Georgia-based chain’s size magnifies the effect of surging egg prices.
It’s not clear how long that spike will last. In January, Georgia reported that bird flu had been detected in two commercial chicken facilities. The state’s Department of Agriculture immediately announced a statewide suspension of all poultry exhibitions, shows, swaps, meets and sales. The ban is indefinite, though agricultural officials have said the state’s food supply is safe.
So far, other popular diner chains like Denny’s and IHOP have stayed out of the chicken fight.
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