Shell Shocked: Rising egg prices affecting bakeries in Santa Barbara County ahead of Easter

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The rising price of eggs is a shell shock for local bakeries.

"Yes with the prices going up to slightly a bit everything else has gone so
there’s inflations of course we had to raise some prices," said owner Jovina Sepulveda of Jovi’s Delights.

After all, as Sepulveda explains, one of the main ingredients for most pastries is eggs.

"We would be closed if we had … if they raise the price so
high definitely would have to try to balance it out … but no eggs is vital
at a bakery," said Sepulveda.

Rising egg prices is not just due to inflation, but also because of the
recent bird flu outbreak across the nation.

And it’s all happening just days ahead of Easter.

"It hasn’t stopped me from eating eggs either … It hasn’t gone so high that
we’re not gonna come here," said customer Robert Garcia of Jovi's Delights.

Sepulveda said the bakery uses at least 1000 eggs to make their
pastries every month.

"The case is what … I mean you get 200 … and those go by very fast," said Sepulveda.

Sepulveda is glad customers are stocking up with cakes and cookies for
their Easter celebration, while others are ordering in, having an "eggs-ellent" time.

"They still order ... they want to eat and we do have a lot of regulars that
want to come in and just sit and enjoy and have coffee and it’s been
wonderful having our regulars come in like Mr. Garcia over there," said Sepulveda.

Egg prices increased by more than 50 percent since the first outbreak this year according to the United States Department of Agriculture.