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How Boston’s iconic diners are dealing with rising egg prices
"I looked at our paperwork around two months ago and saw that the price of eggs doubled."
Diners serve as the destination for where to get a classic American breakfast at an affordable price. But skyrocketing egg prices are making it hard for some of Boston’s most iconic spots.
“We go through 40 cases of eggs a week and I can’t change the menu,” said Mike’s City Diner owner Jay Hajj.
The South End spot — a reader favorite — is known for its large portions and popular dishes like the Mike’s Famous Pilgrim sandwich and eggs Benedict. Reader Samantha D. from Haverhill said of Mike’s in 2024, “Great food, great atmosphere, and great customer service. It’s a must try in Boston, and run by an amazing family!”
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But Hajj said his diner is taking hits every week with rising egg prices.
“I looked at our paperwork around two months ago and saw that the price of eggs doubled,” he said.
A recent report from The Boston Globe showed the price of a dozen large eggs to be $5.77 at Boston supermarkets. This is up from $3.78 in September, according to data from market research firm Datasembly. Between January and February 2025, the Globe found a jump of nearly 20% with egg prices in Boston.
The national cost of eggs mirrors the city’s price average. At the start of 2025, NerdWallet reported the price of a dozen Grade A large eggs to be hovering at $4.95 — it was a 59% rise in one year and set a new record on average price.
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The driving factor causing the uptick is bird flu, whether it be the need to cull millions of birds or shoppers anxiously buying too many cartons at a time, according to the Globe.
Restaurants typically use a food distributor like US Foods and may supplement their supply with Restaurant Depot runs that have limits per customer. But even through these different channels designed for restaurants, rising egg prices are overwhelming.
At South Street Diner, eggs are a centerpiece, according to owner Sol Sidell.
“We go through 400 dozen eggs on an average weekend and 600 on a busy one,” said Sidell.
To buy a case of eggs, it was approximately $17 for Sidell a few months ago. Now, it is $35.
Rising prices are not the only concern for diners. Inventory is shaky with fewer eggs available across the country.
“We are constantly ordering in advance to protect ourselves, because they will only sell a few cases at a time to individuals. We have great support from our vendors but we have to always be mindful of it,” said Sidell. “If we were planning on an order for Friday, we better have enough to make it to Sunday.”
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Egg alternatives like liquid eggs have gained popularity for their longer shelf life, but their flavor profile is not the same, according to Sidell. The trade-offs with flavor are not worth the more consistent cost.
“We don’t do that because we want to maintain freshness but that is one option for bakeries where the egg may not be front and center when you put sugar or flour into something,” said Sidell.
While many restaurants feel the tumultuous egg price shifts, some breakfast spots like The Friendly Toast have a locked contract that fixes prices. Their price has not shifted in five years, according to Ben Kaplan, a management team member at the Boston location.
Despite the cost of a critical ingredient increasing for most restaurants, owners are trying their best to keep prices down for customers.
At South Street Diner, the restaurant has adapted by increasing their vegan options and menu graphics to highlight non-egg options like their Boston Cream and Churros Pancakes.
“It’s too early to see what works in terms of the menu design changes, but I know people are coming for the vegan options,” said Sidell.
For Hajj, raising prices for the customer is a last resort.
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“Even when it hurts, I keep my prices the same until I see everything going up across the board by around 20 percent,” said Hajj, noting that his last increase was a year and a half ago.
“You don’t go to Mike’s for Bloody Marys,” said Hajj. “My classic omelet specials have been the same since we opened up in 1995 and we sell thousands of them.”
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