At the time, Cracker Barrel, another iconic American breakfast chain, used Waffle House's surcharge to try to sway egg-hungry diners through its doors. "A surcharge on eggs?

The once-humble staple has become the ultimate symbol of human consumption.

A 50-cent per egg surcharge was implemented at Waffle House's roughly 2,100 locations across the U.S. in early February to offset higher-than-usual prices resulting from a "continuing egg shortage ...