Cracker Barrel isn’t scrambling to catch up with soaring egg prices. On the contrary, the restaurant chain is trying to poach customers with a rewards program after Waffle House announced a 50-cent egg surcharge this week.
Waffle House’s surcharge went into effect on Monday, and Cracker Barrel wasted no time whisking away concerns that it would follow suit.
“A surcharge on eggs? Well, there’s nothing hospitable about that,” Cracker Barrel said Wednesday in a release. “At Cracker Barrel, country hospitality is as important to us as a hearty breakfast — and that means not charging extra for eggs.”
Rather than yolking customers with extra costs, Cracker Barrel is offering an incentive for those who order egg dishes.
“That’s why we’ll be trading some pegs for eggs. Starting tomorrow (Thursday, Feb. 6), all Cracker Barrel Rewards members will earn double pegs on all egg dishes through Wednesday, Feb. 12,” Cracker Barrel said.
Representatives for Cracker Barrel and Waffle House did not immediately respond to NBC News requests for comment.
The rising egg costs come after chicken populations have been severely affected by the surge of bird flu cases, according to the Agriculture Department’s latest egg markets overview.
The eggsorbitant costs have not only hiked prices at restaurants and grocery stores, they’ve led to massive egg theft and people renting chickens to lay eggs at home.
