An outbreak of bird flu has led to egg shortages across the country, causing the average price of a dozen eggs to hover around $8, up from $2.25 last fall.
And relief is not on the way — the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted on Tuesday that the price of eggs will increase by more than 40% in 2025.
In response, restaurants and bakeries around the country have raised prices on egg-based goods. Waffle House, for example, has added a surcharge of 50 cents per egg at its 2,100 locations in the U.S., while Denny’s has added a surcharge on meals with eggs at its 1,500 locations but left the exact surcharge cost to individual restaurants.
McDonald’s, however, is bucking the trend. The fast food giant is not only rejecting surcharges but is also launching a one-day promotion for its Egg McMuffin, offering the item at a discount.
Related: McDonald’s Announces the Return of the Snack Wrap in 2025 — Here’s What to Expect From Its Comeback
In a press release on Tuesday, McDonald’s said that in honor of the 50th anniversary of its Egg McMuffin, customers can buy the breakfast staple for just $1 on Sunday, March 2 through the McDonald’s app. The item usually costs around $4.
McDonald’s Chief Impact Officer of North America, Michael Gonda, also wrote in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday that “unlike others making news recently, you definitely won’t see McDonald’s USA issuing surcharges on eggs, which are 100% cage-free and sourced in the U.S.”
McDonald’s Egg McMuffin. Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
High egg prices have led to more people buying baby chicks and rushing to stock up on eggs at grocery stores, leading some stores like Trader Joe’s and Costco to impose limits on how many eggs customers can purchase.
McDonald’s experienced weaker sales than expected in its most recent quarterly earnings due to an E. coli outbreak from late October to early December. In the fourth quarter of 2024, McDonald’s reported revenue of $6.39 billion compared to $6.44 billion expected.
Related: Thieves Steal $40,000 Worth of Eggs in a Massive Trailer Heist: ‘Liquid Gold’
