SPOKANE, Wash. — A new law went into effect at the start of this year requiring all eggs sold in Washington to be from cage free facilities. This law was passed in 2019 and allowed a five-year grace period to adjust to the new standards.
For Frank’s Diner in downtown Spokane, this is putting a hit on their number one product.
“Eggs are probably the number one thing that is on our menu, and the number one thing that we sell. So, it really does matter to us when egg prices go up and down and fluctuate in the market,” said Robin Bernhart, managing partner of Landmark Restaurants.
The new law requires all egg laying hens to have at least 116 square inches of space to live in, which is less than a square foot. This new law could be impacting prices, but another factor may be causing an even bigger change in price. Avian flu.
“The avian flu is probably a much bigger deal than the cage free egg law,” Bernhart said.
Avian flu, or the bird flu, has killed over 13 million egg laying hens since November of last year according to the USDA animal and plant health inspection service.
The avian flu was at its peak in December 2022 when over 100 million birds died, according to the USDA animal and plant health inspection service. With these latest infections, this is now the largest outbreak of the disease in US history.
Bernhart says that while the price of eggs may continue to change, the prices at Franks Diner will not.
“Prices here will stay the same until we absolutely have to make any changes, and it won’t be because of egg prices,” Bernhart said.
