Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Waffle House has always had a very specific reputation in America.
You weren’t necessarily going there for anything fancy.
You went because it was quick, simple, open 24 hours—and cheap.
But customers are looking at Waffle House menus today and asking:
When did THIS get so expensive?
A basic breakfast that people remember costing only a few dollars can now easily become a double-digit meal once you start adding meat, drinks, extra eggs, hash browns and other options.
And longtime customers have noticed.
In Waffle House customer communities, people have reacted to newer menus showing the popular All-Star Special around the $12–$14 range depending on location, with some reminiscing about when they remember paying roughly $6 or $7. Those posts are anecdotal and prices vary by restaurant, but they show the sticker shock some longtime customers are experiencing.
Then came the egg situation.
During the massive egg-price spike in 2025, Waffle House temporarily added a 50-cent surcharge PER EGG because of soaring costs caused by the bird-flu-driven egg shortage.
That surcharge was eventually removed.
But for some customers, it became another example of something much bigger happening throughout the restaurant industry:
The cheap meal isn’t so cheap anymore.
Restaurants have been dealing with higher food costs, wages, rent, insurance and other operating expenses.
But customers have their own rising expenses.
Housing.
Groceries.
Insurance.
Electricity.
Car payments.
Everything is competing for the same paycheck.
And that’s why price increases at somewhere like Waffle House hit differently.
People don’t necessarily compare Waffle House with an expensive steakhouse.
They compare it with what Waffle House used to cost.
And once a restaurant known for affordability starts approaching the price of other sit-down options, customers start asking:
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TikTok: tiktok.com/@jayyreed?_t=ZP-8xpYGIP7xPD&_r=1
Patreon: patreon.com/c/RealJayReed
Facebook: facebook.com/thejayreed
video credit:
tiktok.com/@shelllee/video/7575231423481728287
tiktok.com/@what_is_adulting/video/7625009065126530318
tiktok.com/@kcisnext/video/7577597712820915511
tiktok.com/@exclusivehatshous/video/7672079210579643662
tiktok.com/@ally.put/video/7619780074530753806
This video includes my commentary and reactions to publicly available TikTok content, used under Fair Use for discussion and critique.
Equipment I use in my videos:
Swinging pendulum amzn.to/42K3Kfy
Camera(Sony A6400) - amzn.to/3lA0tY8
Monitor(Samsung Gaming 32 inch Monitor) - amzn.to/3eSeDle
#jayreed #economy #politics #costofliving #layoffs
Waffle House has always had a very specific reputation in America.
You weren’t necessarily going there for anything fancy.
You went because it was quick, simple, open 24 hours—and cheap.
But customers are looking at Waffle House menus today and asking:
When did THIS get so expensive?
A basic breakfast that people remember costing only a few dollars can now easily become a double-digit meal once you start adding meat, drinks, extra eggs, hash browns and other options.
And longtime customers have noticed.
In Waffle House customer communities, people have reacted to newer menus showing the popular All-Star Special around the $12–$14 range depending on location, with some reminiscing about when they remember paying roughly $6 or $7. Those posts are anecdotal and prices vary by restaurant, but they show the sticker shock some longtime customers are experiencing.
Then came the egg situation.
During the massive egg-price spike in 2025, Waffle House temporarily added a 50-cent surcharge PER EGG because of soaring costs caused by the bird-flu-driven egg shortage.
That surcharge was eventually removed.
But for some customers, it became another example of something much bigger happening throughout the restaurant industry:
The cheap meal isn’t so cheap anymore.
Restaurants have been dealing with higher food costs, wages, rent, insurance and other operating expenses.
But customers have their own rising expenses.
Housing.
Groceries.
Insurance.
Electricity.
Car payments.
Everything is competing for the same paycheck.
And that’s why price increases at somewhere like Waffle House hit differently.
People don’t necessarily compare Waffle House with an expensive steakhouse.
They compare it with what Waffle House used to cost.
And once a restaurant known for affordability starts approaching the price of other sit-down options, customers start asking:
jayreedtv.com
TikTok: tiktok.com/@jayyreed?_t=ZP-8xpYGIP7xPD&_r=1
Patreon: patreon.com/c/RealJayReed
Facebook: facebook.com/thejayreed
video credit:
tiktok.com/@shelllee/video/7575231423481728287
tiktok.com/@what_is_adulting/video/7625009065126530318
tiktok.com/@kcisnext/video/7577597712820915511
tiktok.com/@exclusivehatshous/video/7672079210579643662
tiktok.com/@ally.put/video/7619780074530753806
This video includes my commentary and reactions to publicly available TikTok content, used under Fair Use for discussion and critique.
Equipment I use in my videos:
Swinging pendulum amzn.to/42K3Kfy
Camera(Sony A6400) - amzn.to/3lA0tY8
Monitor(Samsung Gaming 32 inch Monitor) - amzn.to/3eSeDle
#jayreed #economy #politics #costofliving #layoffs
