If you have entered a grocery store since January 1st, you might have noticed how empty the egg shelves are. You will only be able to find one type of egg available for purchase, cage-free eggs. Michigan’s Cage-Free Egg Law has been in effect for several months and many people are still seeing barren shelves. With grocery stores struggling to keep the shelves stocked, you might be wondering how local restaurants like Driftwood are dealing with the Cage-Free Egg law.
While the sudden egg shortage came as a shock to many, the law has been on the books for a while. Originally passed in 2009, Michigan has now become the fifth state to ban the production of caged eggs. The law was supposed to be enacted at the end of 2019. However, the pandemic and issues with the supply chain caused the law to be pushed to 2025. This law applies to farms with 3,000 or more egg-laying hens.
The law bans the sale of eggs from hens that are raised in cages, applying to Michigan’s largest egg suppliers. Instead, Michigan eggs need to come from operations that have cage-free housing. In this case, cage-free housing means that hens are allowed to roam around and provide enrichments that “allow them to exhibit natural behaviors.” This law was made to ensure that hens who are producing eggs for human consumption are not treated cruelly, providing a clean and safe environment for them to live in.
At the moment, Michigan locals are dealing with a limited supply of eggs and increased prices. But, what does that mean for your favorite local restaurants?
Grocery stores are not the only business being impacted by the Cage-Free Egg law. Restaurants are also impacted due to the suppliers being unable to see caged eggs. Most restaurants get their ingredients from large food distributors, buying wholesale to be cost-effective. However, distributors that originally supplied caged eggs can no longer sell them. As a result, local restaurants need to find local sources for ingredients till their suppliers can deliver cage-free products.
Since the beginning, Driftwood has been dedicated to providing amazing service and food to our customers. Over a year ago, our restaurant began locally sourcing our chicken and beef products from Amish farmers. We have always believed in serving people the best quality food, without GMOs. As a result, we are already a step ahead of other restaurants in regards to the Cage-Free Egg Law. We have been serving cage-free eggs for a long time now. This ensures that our customers can be confident in ordering high quality dishes with eggs on our brunch menu or other dishes containing eggs.