Buckle up, Bay Area breakfast lovers, because the egg market is serving up some seriously scrambled economics right now.

If you’ve been side-eyeing the price tag in the grocery store dairy section lately, you’re not alone. Egg prices have skyrocketed to a jaw-dropping $6.23 per dozen, making your morning omelet feel more like a luxury item than a breakfast staple.

The Bird Flu Blues

The culprit behind this egg-streme price hike? Bird flu. These pesky viral outbreaks have decimated chicken populations, with over 168 million birds slaughtered to prevent the disease from spreading. That’s basically wiping out entire egg-laying communities faster than a tech startup burn rate.

Corporate Egg-sploitation?

To make matters worse, major egg producer Cal-Maine Foods is under investigation by the Department of Justice for potential price gouging. Their recent quarterly report shows net income more than tripled to $508.5 million - talk about cracking open some serious profits during a crisis.

The Crafty Consumer Solution

Consumers aren’t taking this lying down. Craft stores like Michaels are seeing plastic egg kits fly off shelves three times faster than expected, as people find creative alternatives to these gold-plated real eggs.

While experts predict egg prices will eventually drop, for now, Bay Area foodies might want to get creative with their breakfast plans. Tofu scramble, anyone?