RICHMOND, Va. — As egg prices continue to rise, business owners in Central Virginia are finding innovative ways to navigate the challenge.
Daquan Woodberry, a food group owner, operates several businesses from Chef Suite in Richmond. He utilizes the space as part of a growing trend known as ghost kitchens, allowing him to serve breakfast from early morning to late night.
“We probably crack about 3,000 to 3,500 eggs a week” Woodberry said.
Recently, however, the rising cost of eggs has presented a significant challenge.
“That has been a pretty big deal for us. Doubling price,” he added.
Nationwide, egg prices are rapidly increasing due to the effects of avian flu, which particularly impacts businesses that purchase at the wholesale level.
“The same case of eggs that I buy now was about $20; now it's $214,” Woodberry explained. “When you have these bigger companies, they know you're selling these eggs to the next set of people, right? So they need to make their money in between.”
To avoid raising prices for customers, Woodberry has forged relationships with local grocery stores.
“I've created relationships with my local Kroger and Food Lion, and I go in there and I'm like, ‘Hey, what can we do?’” he said.
This strategy allows him to obtain eggs at a familiar price—nearly half what wholesalers are charging.
“Kroger and Food Lion are trying to sell to the community but keep people coming in, so it's a lot cheaper to just go and get it yourself,” Woodberry said.
Another establishment, Boychiks Deli, is also adapting to the rising costs. The price of cases purchased from multiple vendors has quadrupled. Instead of adjusting their entire menu, the deli is temporarily adding a $1 surcharge on any egg plate, as opposed to charging $1 per egg, a strategy adopted by many restaurants across the country.
The owner noted that sourcing the necessary amount of eggs to meet health code regulations is not feasible through local grocery stores or farms.
“It’s tough when we have to make the decision to increase prices unexpectedly, but we have no choice right now. We are here for our customers, providing for Henrico County and the surrounding area for 35 years,” the owner said.
Federal officials have stated that the public health risk from the avian flu remains low. They are working to contain the outbreak and taking precautions to prevent potential spread to other farms or regions.
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