Inflation, egg and cheese: Bird flu hits NYC’s staple bodega sandwich

A bacon, egg, and cheese? In this economy? New York City bodegas and delis are struggling to keep the city’s signature morning sandwich affordable as egg prices soar amid a bird flu outbreak that is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month. The breakfast staple — two eggs, a discretionary amount of bacon, and American cheese on a round Kaiser roll — varies in price depending on the neighborhood, ranging from around $4.50 to $6.50, and even higher in some areas in the city. Deli owners and managers Gothamist spoke to over the last week said they’re having to consider raising their prices by at least 50 cents. But because part of the BEC’s appeal is its relatively modest price, changing it is a delicate balancing act between what it costs to make the sandwich and what customers are willing to pay. “Sooner or later I have to because I can’t keep consuming the high prices,” said Anthony Bonavita, who owns Benny’s Deli & Catering in Ridgewood, Queens. “I’m making less per sandwich now because the price of eggs is so much.” Bonavita said he sells around 50 of the sandwiches a day for $5.50 each. He’s kept the price of the sandwich the same for more than a year, but egg prices in recent weeks are making that harder to sustain. Delis typically buy their eggs in large cases of 30 dozen. Bonavita said last week, each case cost him $215, up from around $150 to $160 a case just a month ago. Before the pandemic, he said he was buying them for between $50 to $60 a case. “I try to keep my prices down for my loyal customers. That’s why we’re here 57 years on this corner,” he said. “Right now I’m taking a loss. I’m putting less money in my pocket. I still got to pay my employees and, you know, I’m doing the best I can for the neighborhood for my customers.” A bird flu outbreak that started in 2022 is driving the rise in egg prices, the Associated Press reports. Whenever the virus is detected on a farm, the entire flock is slaughtered to prevent it from spreading, which leads to supply shortages. Since the start of the outbreak, 145 million chickens and other birds have been slaughtered. Egg prices have surged nationally with some reports showing a 50% increase over this time last year. In New York, the situation is even more dire. Data put out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Cornell University shows a dozen eggs sold for an average of $3.20 on Feb. 5 of last year in New York. This year, they sell for an average of $7.67 — a 139% increase. In New York City, it’s not uncommon to see a dozen eggs selling for $8 or more. In the East Village, NY Deli and Grill sells its bacon, egg, and cheese for a dollar more than Benny’s, at $6.50, and manager Ahmed Zandani said the “insane” egg prices — he also recently paid $215 per case — are deeply cutting into the business’s profit margins on the sandwiches. “How am I going to survive selling the bacon, egg, and cheese at $6.50? And even if I try to raise it because the prices went up, nobody’s going to buy it,” he said. “So how do you expect us to survive? You try to raise the prices, customers complain. You can’t do nothing, so we lose out of our pockets. That’s why we’re always behind.” Zandani and other bodega owners told Gothamist eggs aren’t the only deli staples whose prices have risen — tomatoes, lettuce, and even coffee are more expensive now. He said the economic squeeze means fewer people are buying BECs, which only compounds the strain. “You know what I’m selling right now because the eggs are so high? Butter rolls,” he said. “You think I’m gonna survive on butter rolls? Butter rolls I charge $1.52.” Zandani said he’s hoping egg prices drop soon, but if they continue to catapult, he’ll be forced to raise the price of the sandwich. He said the highest he would consider is $7.95. Aden Deli, located off the Myrtle Avenue M and J stop in Bushwick, Brooklyn, sells its bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches for $5. Manager Ahmed Shaibi said the deli would risk losing customers if it raised the price higher than that, and that he would only consider doing so if other delis in the area did the same. “I don’t think anybody would pay like $6 for a bacon egg and cheese — it depends where you are. I mean, if you go to the city, I’m sure they would sell it for more, but around here they wouldn’t pay more than $5,” he said. “I mean if we do, we will lose customers.” — news from Gothamist