Leggo your Eggo: There's a waffle shortage
Kellogg is rationing its Eggo products due to flooding and equipment problems at two bakeries. The shortfall could last through mid-2010.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Better hoard your Eggos!
Grocery stores will be experiencing a shortage of the waffles until mid-2010 due to problems at two bakeries, a Kellogg's spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
Flooding at an Atlanta bakery during heavy rains in October forced Kellogg (K, Fortune 500), which makes Eggo products, to shut down production temporarily, said company spokesman Kris Charles. Plus, equipment at Kellogg's largest waffle facility, based in Rossville, Tenn., needs extensive repairs.
"We are working around the clock to restore Eggo store inventories to normal levels as quickly as possible," Charles said in an e-mail.
Remaining inventory will be rationed to stores across the country "based on historical percentage of business."
Production figures are confidential, Charles said, but added that all lines are operational except for several lines at the Rossville plant.
Chad, a grocery manager at King Soopers in Denver who declined to give his last name, said his store is "seeing some shortage, but not much." A Kroger in Jackson, Miss., was also experiencing shortages, according to a manager in the frozen foods sections. At Fairway in New York City, Eggos were in full supply, however, according to a manager at the Brooklyn location.
The production problems will also affect other Eggo products, including pancakes, syrup and other breakfast food. To alert customers, Kellogg has placed a warning to customers on top of its Eggo Web site and placed notices in some grocery stores.
Twitter bites back. Eggo enthusiasts took to the Internet to mourn the shortage. On Wednesday morning, posts about "eggo" were coming in at breakneck speed.
There was even an exchange between lovers of the Twilight vampire movie series. Thinking about another kind of bite, Twitter fanpage editors comforted each other via the social media site.
User @KStew411, a page devoted to Twilight star Kristen Stewart, tweeted on Tuesday: "I am despondent. DESPONDENT. My 4 food groups are: tacos, skittles, pop, and eggos!"
User @cullenluv sent a message of support: "We're outta Eggos here, too!! It's a national tragedy!!" 
