ELLSWORTH, Maine — Eggs are an essential ingredient for anyone in the food business, and as the price of eggs keeps increasing, some Maine bakeries are facing a predicament.
The average price of eggs increased 49.1% in November compared to the year prior, according to the Consumer Price Index.
It's a bind that Momo's Cheesecakes in Ellsworth found itself in after seeing egg prices quadruple in the past year.
"We were paying like $20 a case off the truck. Now they're 80-something dollars," Nadine Barnes, who works at Momo's Cheesecakes, said.
Right down the street, Franklin Street Cafe and Bakery is facing the same troubles. When owner Carolyn Corro opened her business five years ago, she said 60 eggs cost only $3.75.
Now that same case costs $24, but what are she and other bakers to do?
"Without eggs, I couldn't run my business," Corro said.
For bakeries alike, it's not just eggs that are racking up a hefty bill. Barnes said cream cheese has nearly doubled in the past year, too.
The last resort is to raise prices, Barnes said. However, this business is how her family makes a living.
"It's the decision to either stay open and keep your business going and support your family or raise your prices," Barnes said. "There's a lot of us counting on this as our income."
The rise in prices is due to the supply chain and the bird flu outbreak, according to experts. The CDC reported 57.8 million hens were affected this year while there were 729 reported outbreaks in 47 states.