“Making It Work” is a series about small-business owners striving to endure hard times.

Bird flu outbreaks that wiped out about 15 percent of the nation’s egg-laying chickens and drove wholesale egg prices to a peak of more than $8.50 a dozen in February have vexed grocery shoppers and prompted big breakfast chains to add surcharges to diners’ checks. But for owners of small eateries, paying double or triple for an ingredient they crack by the hundreds each day could potentially put them out of business.

These business owners are getting creative: changing recipes; using liquid or powdered eggs, which haven’t gotten as expensive as quickly; and selling whatever items they can that don’t include eggs — things like falafel or packaged snacks or even fresh flowers.

Prices have come down in recent weeks but remain historically high, and worry about new outbreaks is keeping business owners on edge. The U.S. Department of

Keep reading this article on The New York Times Small Business.