In response to the daredevils of inflation, a Bronx bodega has rolled out a scheme that's less about shelling out for fancy cartons and more about getting eggs straight to the people who need them most. At the heart of this retail renaissance is Pamela's Green Deli, which has begun selling eggs by the trio instead of the dozen, a move that diverges from the tradition of bulk buying in an effort to keep the community's wallets from cracking under pressure. Fernando Rodriguez, the proprietor, is selling three eggs for $2.99, as opposed to $12 for a whole carton—a price that's jumped sky-high thanks to the scourge of bird flu rampaging through poultry farms, as reported by NBC New York.
The CDC has been kept busy lately, tracking down more than 20 outbreaks of avian flu in a matter of days, which led to the New York Governor Kathy Hochul putting a temporary kibosh on live poultry markets. Fernando Rodriguez decided that something had to give two weeks ago, opening his doors to a new way of egg distribution in the Bronx, aligning with egg packaging laws in New York that require them to be sold in labeled packages, despite his store's method coming with its risks. “We are taking the risk right now. We care more about the community than whatever summons they could give us," Rodriguez said. This decision is hitting some wallets harder than others. "It's too much for that," customer Matthew McCoy lamented over the price of a dozen in a statement obtained by NBC New York.
Meanwhile, FOX 5 NY's Jessica Formoso noted after speaking with customers, a person recounted how they had paid $12.99 for eggs, and expressed shock at having to do so. It's a sentiment that's echoed across town, with many New Yorkers feeling the pinch of the poultry problem. But it's not all doom and gloom, as many shop owners, like Rodriguez of Pamela's Green Deli, are attempting to crack the crisis by offering affordable alternatives, a move that reflects a common practice from his home country, the Dominican Republic. "Seeing the people when they see the prices of eggs, and sometimes they walk out without them, I called my partners and said let’s do what I used to do in my country, selling loose eggs," Rodriguez explained in an interview with FOX 5 NY.
According to the same interview, once selling a dozen eggs for $5.99 before the outbreak, Rodriguez can't fathom the leap in prices that now sees eggs selling for up to $12 a dozen, as detailed by FOX 5 NY. Tethered to his 40 years of experience and dedication to the community, which has made him a local landmark, he continues selling loose eggs. "We know our community and how hard it is for them. This is the people who come every day for their milk. It’s not like they have the money to go to the supermarket. Anything I can do for them to get what they want I am going to do," said Rodriguez as he resolved to sustain this approach until egg prices fall back to earth.
