San Antonio’s Egg Crisis: Restaurants React to Price Hikes

News Summary

San Antonio is facing an egg crisis as soaring prices due to a poultry shortage impact local restaurants. With egg costs escalating sharply, eateries like Jim’s Restaurants and Tia’s Taco Hut are imposing surcharges to cope with the financial strain. This trend is echoed across many establishments as they adapt their menus and pricing strategies. Experts predict that the egg crisis may persist through the fall, affecting dining choices for locals. The community hopes for a swift recovery in the poultry industry to ease these burdensome costs.

San Antonio’s Egg Crisis: Restaurants Take Action Amid Soaring Prices

If you’ve been keeping up with food prices lately, you probably already know that the egg market is in quite a pickle, and it’s affecting restaurants all over San Antonio. With the ongoing egg shortage creating a whirlwind of price hikes, local eateries are having to adapt quickly, and that means you might be seeing some new numbers on your bill.

Eggs on the Rise

So, what’s going on? The heart of the issue lies with a nasty outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that has devastated poultry populations across the country. Over an astonishing 162 million birds have been impacted nationwide! This includes significant destruction of entire chicken flocks on affected farms, which has left us all scrambling for eggs.

As a result, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shared some staggering numbers: as of January, a dozen Grade A eggs was selling for about $4.95. Locally, H-E-B stores have been charging up to $5.68 for their Hill Country Fare large white eggs. Yikes! With costs like these, it’s no surprise that some restaurants are feeling the pinch.

Local Restaurants Make Tough Choices

Take Jim’s Restaurants for example, which has decided to impose a 50-cent surcharge on every egg sold. It’s a small adjustment but one that reflects the larger trend. Tia’s Taco Hut isn’t far behind, adding a 30-cent surcharge to any taco that contains eggs. Their egg supplier raised the price of a case of eggs from about $38 to a staggering $112! With Tia’s using around 250 cases of eggs each week, that’s an increase of about $17,000 weekly!

Other local favorites aren’t immune either. Taco Palenque started its own egg plate surcharge on February 10, while Taco House just bumped its lowest taco price from $2.25 to $2.49 as a response to the rising costs. Even Bobbie’s Southern Kitchen is feeling the heat, shelling out an extra $1,350 per week compared to just a few months ago.

What’s Next for Egg Lovers?

Unfortunately, the outlook for egg prices isn’t very sunny. Currently, experts anticipate the egg crisis may stretch out until the fall, or even further into the year. With it taking about 20 weeks for baby chicks to grow up and become laying hens, recovering the egg supply is not going to happen overnight.

With the ongoing turmoil, many San Antonio restaurant owners are getting creative. While some are reluctantly passing the costs on to their customers, others are proactively modifying their menus. Bobbie’s Southern Kitchen, for instance, has chosen to keep their breakfast specials at a reasonable $10 to maintain affordability while they navigate these tough times.

Conclusion: Adapting to Change

In the coming weeks and months, keep an eye out for changes at your favorite local spots. From increased prices to carefully crafted discounts on non-egg items, the San Antonio dining scene is adjusting to this unexpected egg crisis. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery in the poultry industry so everyone can get back to enjoying those delicious egg dishes we all love without breaking the bank!

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

HERE Resources

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Addressing the Veterinary Shortage in the U.S.

Additional Resources

• San Antonio Express-News
• Wikipedia: Egg as food
• CultureMap San Antonio
• Google Search: National Margarita Day in San Antonio
• KSAT
• Google Scholar: San Antonio restaurants
• CultureMap San Antonio
• Encyclopedia Britannica: San Antonio food crisis
• CultureMap San Antonio
• Google News: San Antonio egg shortage