When St. Charles residents Terry Beltran and her husband Scott opened their mom-and-pop diner over 18 years ago, they never envisioned the one-two punch that would come their way nearly two decades into operating Daddio’s Diner in Batavia.
“We got hit pretty bad with the last virus a few years ago and still haven’t recovered from that,” Scott Beltran said recently about the COVID-19 pandemic. “Now we have this issue with bird flu and the price of eggs that have gone through the roof. Honestly, we’re nearly bankrupt.”
Egg prices in the United States hit an all-time average high of $4.95 per dozen this month, officials have said, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicting the price could soar even higher as the year goes on due to the impact of bird flu.
Restaurants and other businesses that rely on eggs as a staple are scrambling to deal with the skyrocketing prices. The Waffle House restaurant chain made headlines a few weeks ago by putting a 50-cent per egg surcharge in place due to the soaring cost of eggs.
Daddio’s Diner at 134 W. Wilson St. in Batavia sports a loyal following of diehard locals, so Beltran wants to keep from hiking prices if he can.
“We’ve haven’t raised prices yet. I’ve put out a donation thing. I don’t want to follow suit with the Waffle House and everybody else. I’m trying to keep my customers coming back,” he said.
The cost of eggs, though, is getting hard to swallow.
“Eggs went from an average of $200 to $250 per week to $1,300, almost $1,400” for the diner, he said. “Now we’re in winter and things are slow and bankruptcy is right around the corner.”
Eggs, he said, make up 30% or more of what the diner makes. He said he is considering adding a $1 upcharge per egg but “I want to wait first to see what the donation jar brings.”
He credits his wife and daughter for an increased social media presence that has led to a little uptick in business, but questions “how long it will last.”
Daddio’s Diner regulars Alyse and Brian Minardi of Batavia came in to the restaurant last weekend as a show of support, and each ordered an omelet.
“It’s amazing he’s not raising his prices,” Alyse Minardi said.
She said the overall hike in egg prices “is really, really ridiculous,” and is impacting just about everyone.
“We have three kids ourselves and with this increase it’s hard. Eggs are actually my favorite protein,” she said. “Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so it’s hard.”
Harner’s Bakery in North Aurora is also experiencing a cost crunch due to the price of eggs, but owners say they are not looking at a price increase at this time for their baked goods or the popular meals they serve all day long.
Jeanine Bennett of North Aurora, who handles bookkeeping and manages the bakery staff, said the business regularly reviews its pricing structure every few years and instituted an increase just before the egg crisis hit.
“We adjust our prices on a regular basis and it just so happened we made some changes just before anyone knew this issue with eggs was going to happen,” she said. “It was just part of our regular cycle and so that’s helping us as far as the current increase and we haven’t had to pass the cost on to our customers.”
Like the Beltrans, Bennett said Harner’s relies on eggs in well over 30% of its products.
While enjoying a mushroom omelet at Harner’s recently, Preston Halley of Aurora said it is great the business hasn’t raised its prices recently due to the egg shortage.
“They certainly have a right to increase things. As far as our family, I suppose the increase has affected us a little bit,” he said, noting that his “wife just went to Costco to get some eggs and they were sold out.”
“I might not make them at home quite as often because I know it’s a little more costly to do that,” he said.
La France Bakery at 118 E. Galena Blvd. in Aurora said it not raising prices despite the egg situation, citing fears of losing customers altogether.
“We’ve not raised our prices yet,” said baker Genro Garcia. “Eggs – we used to buy the box for $50 and now it’s $110 – more than double. There’s probably 40% less profit now because of the cost of ingredients. Everything is up – sugar, shortening – everything. We haven’t raised prices because people don’t want to spend that. They have to pay mortgage, they have to pay bills, and whatever they have left isn’t much.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
