Over 500 eggs worth Rs 33,000 have been stolen from a cafe in the US amid soaring prices. The theft occurred at Seattle's Luna Park Cafe last Wednesday and the police said the robbers stole approximately $780 (Rs 67,749) worth of food, including blueberries, bacon, ground beef, and "liquid egg products."
David Park, the general manager of the eatery, said that they mostly serve egg-based dishes and were already struggling to source them. The theft has made things even more difficult, putting a serious strain on the business.
"We couldn't order any eggs, so we had to drive around to different markets to find them. But even if you go to Costco or some grocery stores, it's hard to get eggs, so it's been very difficult," Park said, as per The NY Post.
He said that the thieves didn't steal alcohol, which is more expensive than eggs, but specifically stole eggs, meat, and egg-related products due to the price surge.
Park said that when he received news of the robbery, he rushed to the cafe immediately and saw the suspects taking food. When he tried to catch them, they fled the scene.
The Seattle Police Department is investigating the case and has not yet identified or caught the suspects.
The robbery comes at a time when the US is facing soaring egg prices. Last week, around 1 lakh eggs worth Rs 34,84,329 were stolen from an organic farm in south-central Pennsylvania's Franklin County.
"Egg prices are going up because of the avian flu, which has killed nearly 136 million birds since 2022. The flu is driving people to buy more eggs than they usually do because they're anticipating higher prices and reduced grocery store supply," Emory University Associate Marketing Professor Saloni Vastan said.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
