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Mark R.

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Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Mark R. » Sun Feb 14, 2016 12:01 am

My wife and I were out doing errands today decided to go to wild eggs for brunch. We had been in a while so it sounded like a great idea. But were we shocked when we look at the prices on the menu. It's only been about 3 months since we've been there but everything is gone up at least $1 and some more than that. One additional egg is now $1.69 and 2 eggs are now $2.99! Biscuits and gravy are now $7.49 in the corned beef hash is now $9.99. To think that we were shocked by the price increases would be an understatement.

Has anybody else noticed this recently? I'm not sure if they held the prices for a long time and finally had to make the bump or what but the amount of the increases sure surprised us.
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Carla G

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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Carla G » Sun Feb 14, 2016 11:16 am

I can't speak re: Wild Eggs specifically but I do think it may be a reflection of what the current market can/will bear and the demand for better ingredients at the better independent restaurants. Those things cost. I'm trying to remember if the price for an additional egg at other breakfast places and it seems to be in line with what's being charged elsewhere. BUT...I don't get around to as many places as others that post on the forum do.
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Paula B » Sun Feb 14, 2016 11:58 am

Gas prices may have dropped,, but our food prices have jumped tremendously in the last 6 months... Labor prices / benefits have also increased tremendously--- as we have a serious labor shortage in Louisville ( at least for restaurant help)....

Please keep eating out, and I would imagine that all restaurants will be raising prices somewhat to be able to stay in business......
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Mark R. » Sun Feb 14, 2016 12:34 pm

Carla G wrote:I can't speak re: Wild Eggs specifically but I do think it may be a reflection of what the current market can/will bear and the demand for better ingredients at the better independent restaurants.

I certainly agree with your thoughts that the player really pays to see what the market will bare. I've read several places that the rule of thumb is that food prices should be around 30% of the ultimate price of an item, in the case of eggs that would mean that restaurants should be paying about $.50 each for them in the example I gave. On our way home we actually went grocery shopping and are able to buy EggLands Best for $3.49/dozen. That would mean that each egg was about $.30, so that I can understand a restaurant charging you about $1 per egg and I'm sure a policing use as many eggs as they do gives them even cheaper than that.
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Richard S.

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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Richard S. » Sun Feb 14, 2016 1:40 pm

It's not always a straight calculation. The food cost for an egg might only be 10%, but the food cost for a steak might be 60%. It's supposed to balance out at the end of the day. I personally tend to think there are some places that are simply taking advantage of customers, but if people are lining up at your door I suppose you're free to charge whatever you can get.
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Eric Hall » Sun Feb 14, 2016 8:19 pm

they will quit charging those prices when people stop lining up at the door.

I don't find $2.99 for two additional eggs to be excessive at a place like Wild Eggs.
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Mark R. » Sun Feb 14, 2016 8:23 pm

Eric Hall wrote:they will quit charging those prices when people stop lining up at the door.

I certainly agree with that although you would think that the increased competition in the breakfast market would help the problem.
I don't find $2.99 for two additional eggs to be excessive at a place like Wild Eggs.

On what basis do you not find it excessive? I'm pretty sure it's at least an 80% markup on what they pay for the eggs and it's not as if cooked them with a major issue with all the others they are already cooking.
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Susanne Smith » Mon Feb 15, 2016 9:43 am

I think that some restaurants philosophy on pricing is the following....Charging quite a bit for one egg is sticker shock for the customer that wants to order one egg ( and there are many of them) water, and a pot of tea that they will nurse for the next hour while hungry customers are waiting for a table. If this was a random thing, that would be one thing. But you would be surprised how many people would do this, or want to split a bowl of soup, order a third of a sandwich...etc. etc.. In theory, customers have a right to sit as long as they want, and to spend as little as they want. The problem arises when this happens frequently and diminishes the restaurants profits.
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Michael N. » Mon Feb 15, 2016 10:05 am

Let me preface this by stating that I am in no way associated with Wild Eggs or any of its other related properties.

I have seen egg prices as high as $0.43 per egg, wholesale.

Also, consider when you are buying an egg at a restaurant the restaurant has to pay for:

The egg
someone to cook the egg
the liability and unemployment insurance on the person who cooked the egg
any benefits that might be offered to the person who cooked the egg
the equipment on which the egg was cooked
the fuel required to run the equipment on which the egg was cooked
the roof over the equipment on which the egg was cooked be that rent or general upkeep if the establishment owns the building
the utilities required to make the building under the roof comfortable and safe
the plate on which the egg was served
the linen on the table on which the plate was set
the silverware you will use to eat the egg
(to an extent) a server to bring you your egg.
the same insurance and possibly benefits on the server as to the person who cooked the egg
someone to bus the table at which you ate the egg
again, back to liability and unemployment insurance
someone to wash the plates and silverware
yet again with the liability and unemployment insurance
the water used to wash the plates and silverware
the chemicals used to wash the plates and silverware and/or the skillet in which the egg was cooked...

This list says nothing of the initial investments of supplies or the maintenance of inventory so they can have eggs to serve to you...I could go on, but I'm pretty sure you get the point.

I think it's very easy to get caught up in the, "eggs are only $0.24 apiece at Kroger!" line of thought without considering everything that goes into making a restaurant not only successful but an experience for its patrons. If you want cheaper eggs there's always Denny's
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by SilvioM » Mon Feb 15, 2016 11:46 am

The price of eggs, at some point last year, was up 50% over the year prior.

http://qz.com/502816/us-egg-prices-are- ... -30-years/

Wild Eggs doesn't have prices posted on their website menu, perhaps to allow for fluctuations in wholesale prices. Highland Morning charges 1.50/2.75 for extra eggs, a bit cheaper, but not by much.
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Robin Garr » Mon Feb 15, 2016 1:06 pm

Honestly, I'm having a hard time getting my mind wrapped around the idea that this is even an issue on a foodie forum where many of us understand the difficult economics of the restaurant business.

I'd add, though, that grocery prices specifically are dramatically outrunning prices in general. It's almost as if we don't have inflation these days except for food. I can tell you, though, that I put in volunteer time at a large monthly food pantry in the East End, and the number of visitors is way up with an increase mostly among people who have jobs but simply can't keep up with grocery bills. :(
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Harry Dennery » Mon Feb 15, 2016 1:41 pm

Please note the link for an explanation of the egg market.

http://nrn.com/commodities/egg-prices-e ... -ease-year
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Mark R. » Mon Feb 15, 2016 1:43 pm

I don't have a problem in general with food prices and realize how their costing models work. I also understand the explanation that Michael posted but almost all of those associate costs go out the window when I just want a couple of eggs on top of my biscuits and gravy. The overhead costs have already been covered by my main item so why should I cover them a 2nd time? Having to pay $11 for biscuits and gravy with a couple of eggs on top is ridiculous in my opinion.
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Jeff Cavanaugh » Mon Feb 15, 2016 4:32 pm

Mark R. wrote:My wife and I were out doing errands today decided to go to wild eggs for brunch. We had been in a while so it sounded like a great idea. But were we shocked when we look at the prices on the menu. It's only been about 3 months since we've been there but everything is gone up at least $1 and some more than that. One additional egg is now $1.69 and 2 eggs are now $2.99! Biscuits and gravy are now $7.49 in the corned beef hash is now $9.99. To think that we were shocked by the price increases would be an understatement.

Has anybody else noticed this recently? I'm not sure if they held the prices for a long time and finally had to make the bump or what but the amount of the increases sure surprised us.


When was the last time you were there, Mark?

Prices on the same items from an October, 2014 Yelp image (1, 2, 3) of Wild Eggs' menu:
One egg: $1.49
Two eggs: $2.79
Biscuits and Gravy: $6.99
Corned beef hash: $8.79

So, eggs are up 7 and 13%, respectively, biscuits and gravy is up 7%, and corned beef hash is up 13%. More to the point, the hash is the only thing that's up "at least $1," and the eggs are only up by a couple dimes.

Unless you already thought Wild Eggs' prices were too high, it's hard to see how the current prices are outrageous. The "ridiculous" price of $11 for your order of biscuits and gravy with two eggs is less than 75 cents more (+7%) than you'd have paid a little over a year ago.

That really doesn't seem outrageous to me, or out of line with price increases in the rest of the restaurant industry.
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Re: Wild Eggs (price shock)

by Rick Boman » Mon Feb 15, 2016 6:38 pm

Michael N. wrote:Let me preface this by stating that I am in no way associated with Wild Eggs or any of its other related properties.

I have seen egg prices as high as $0.43 per egg, wholesale.

Also, consider when you are buying an egg at a restaurant the restaurant has to pay for:

The egg
someone to cook the egg
the liability and unemployment insurance on the person who cooked the egg
any benefits that might be offered to the person who cooked the egg
the equipment on which the egg was cooked
the fuel required to run the equipment on which the egg was cooked
the roof over the equipment on which the egg was cooked be that rent or general upkeep if the establishment owns the building
the utilities required to make the building under the roof comfortable and safe
the plate on which the egg was served
the linen on the table on which the plate was set
the silverware you will use to eat the egg
(to an extent) a server to bring you your egg.
the same insurance and possibly benefits on the server as to the person who cooked the egg
someone to bus the table at which you ate the egg
again, back to liability and unemployment insurance
someone to wash the plates and silverware
yet again with the liability and unemployment insurance
the water used to wash the plates and silverware
the chemicals used to wash the plates and silverware and/or the skillet in which the egg was cooked...

This list says nothing of the initial investments of supplies or the maintenance of inventory so they can have eggs to serve to you...I could go on, but I'm pretty sure you get the point.

I think it's very easy to get caught up in the, "eggs are only $0.24 apiece at Kroger!" line of thought without considering everything that goes into making a restaurant not only successful but an experience for its patrons. If you want cheaper eggs there's always Denny's


Don't forget the accidentally busted yolk for the over easy/over medium orders. We use Eggland's Best and every third egg yolk busts right out of the shell. That goes in the garbage, I can tell you from slinging eggs for half my damn life, a lot of eggs never make it to the plate for that reason. That adds up on a busy breakfast/brunch shift, and has to be accounted for in the pricing.
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