The Crack’d Egg, a Brentwood restaurant that sparked attention for fighting covid-19 restrictions, announced it is closing.
In a social media post, the owners said they contemplated closing last year but decided to sign an additional one-year lease.
“And here we are in 2026,” the post continued. “Costs through the roof. Pressure nonstop. And the truth is… we’ve got nothing left to give.”
The restaurant will close May 10.
The social media post thanked past and present staff, guests and supporters who made Crack’d Egg “something bigger than just breakfast.”
The post also called out the Allegheny County Health Department, with whom the restaurant sparred during the pandemic. The owners wrote that the health department’s “attempt to destroy and shut down a family business failed” as the restaurant is closing “on our terms.”
The health department ordered the Crack’d Egg to close in August 2020 for refusing to comply with covid-19 mitigation orders that required masking and social distancing or reduced capacity for customers.
Owner Kimberly Waigand defied the health department and continued to operate. The restaurant was again shut down, a debate that wound up in court, where a judge said the restaurant owners had “largely chosen their fate” by remaining closed rather than complying with masking orders.
The restaurant’s owners in the social media post announcing the closure said they have “zero regrets.”
“We gave everything we had — every plate — every morning — every ounce of heart and passion,” the post reads.