The Price of Breakfast Just Cracked Open a New Reality
Welcome to the future, where even eggs are too fancy for your wallet. The latest culinary crisis isn’t in some five-star restaurant—it’s happening in Waffle House and other diners. Who knew breakfast would be the site of a surcharge showdown? Let’s break down this egg-citing development, and no, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke (but it might feel like one).
Waffle House: Where Eggs Are Extra
As reported in the Wall Street Journal on February 6, Ryan Crabbe, a 49-year-old construction project manager from Atlanta, recently found himself staring at a Waffle House bill came with a side of surprise. “It was pretty shocking to see that,” Crabbe said of the 50-cent fee tacked on for each egg on his plate. “Definitely never seen anything like that before.”
Sure, the man’s probably a seasoned vet when it comes to breakfast food, but this new reality of paying a surcharge for eggs? That’s a whole new world. Waffle House, traditionally a mecca for the working-class breakfast enthusiast, now feels like it’s part of the $18 brunch club. And honestly, this price hike is a little too much for anyone hoping for a humble start to their day. But wait—this is just the beginning.
Storm’s Drive-In: The Texas Egg Crisis
Meanwhile, in Texas, Storm’s Drive-In, a local burger joint, has entered the fray with its own egg surcharge. In mid-January, the owner, Mike Green, decided to charge an additional 30 cents for each egg used in his breakfast tacos and French toast. Why, you ask? Well, it’s the price of eggs, of course. “I absorbed the cost as long as I could,” Green explained, “but when the price of eggs became too much to swallow, I had to make the change.”
I mean, sure, the guy had to make the call—business is business. But let’s pause for a second. When did breakfast become a game of “how many eggs can you afford”? The restaurants don't want to go through the trouble of reprinting menus (such a hassle, right?) because they're hoping it’s all going to be a temporary price spike. Yeah, I’m sure “temporary” means just long enough for all of us to get used to it.
Eggs as the New Luxury Item
This is the moment when we all realize: eggs are now a luxury item. The humble egg, once the epitome of affordable protein, is being auctioned off like it’s a rare commodity. Waffle House and Storm’s Drive-In, two establishments that have long prided themselves on affordable comfort food, have just turned the price of eggs into a metaphor for a society gone haywire. One minute you’re ordering a classic breakfast, the next minute you’re doing the math on how many eggs you can actually afford.
Mike Green may think he’s just weathering a brief storm, but let’s face it: once businesses start charging us for eggs like this, we’re on a slippery slope. Soon, we’ll be paying extra for toast, then for butter, and who knows—maybe an “atmosphere fee” just to breathe in the air while we eat.
The Real Egg-ceptional Lesson for Writers
And here's where it gets interesting for writers. The price of eggs, in all its bizarre glory, teaches us that even the most mundane details can hold massive potential for drama, humor, or even tragedy in fiction. Think about it: a small surcharge for eggs could lead to a major character conflict, a breakdown in relationships, or even a larger metaphor for how society’s expectations and rising costs seep into the most intimate moments. Imagine the drama unfolding at a diner, where the price of eggs isn’t just a fee—it’s a symbol of control, rebellion, or desperation.
For writers, this is your chance to take something simple and turn it into something profound. The absurdity of an egg surcharge might seem like just another passing news headline, but with the right characters and a little narrative flair, you could create a story that leaves readers questioning the cost of everything around them. So go ahead—find the "egg fee" in your next story, and see where it takes you.
The Snark
Comments