Mealtimes have become more fluid than ever, and while the majority of breakfast consumption still occurs at home, today’s busy, on-the-go lifestyles mean less time for the meal described as the best way to start the day. However, that doesn’t mean the appetite isn’t there.
According to Mintel breakfast and brunch continue to shine bright in the restaurant industry with over 50% of consumers ordering breakfast items from foodservice establishments more often. Not only are 30% of consumers purchasing breakfast fare outside of morning hours more often, but 72% wish restaurants would offer breakfast items throughout the day, and 35% would visit a restaurant they typically wouldn’t visit if it were to offer breakfast fare beyond the morning. Furthermore, it’s the only growing daypart in the restaurant industry!
Observant of the opportunity fast food and fast casual restaurants have quickly responded to the craving. From quick-serve brands like McDonald’s adding an all-day breakfast to Subway and Taco Bell expanding their menus to help consumers start their day, breakfast is big business.
The demand has opened the door to a whole class of breakfast only concepts. While the mainstays of breakfast like eggs and bacon still reign supreme, the category is taking on new form with ethnic and artisanal influences, and seasonally inspired chef-driven menus spanning everything from healthy functional to indulgent comfort. Here’s a look at a few restaurants building a breakfast culture and giving consumers a reason to rise and dine.
Rise and Dine
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Snooze
Open from 6:30 am to 2:30 pm the all day breakfast and brunch spot Snooze serves up creative twists on America’s favorite classics. With items like a Breakfast Pot Pie, Goldilocks’ Porridge, and Pancake Flights, not to mention boozy daytime drinks you’ll be waking up on the right side of things here. Not just catering to consumer’s appetites, the brand’s strong focus on community, sustainability, and responsible sourcing appeals to its loyal snoozers.
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Sunday in Brooklyn
Williamsburg brunch spot Sunday in Brooklyn is a celebration of all things Sunday. The three-story restaurant with a Southern California aesthetic exudes an easy like Sunday morning feel. With an outdoor patio, marketplace, dining room, and rooftop garden you can certainly make a day of it any day of the week. Order yourself a pecan sticky bun or a toasted bun with oyster cream and wash it down with a Sunday, Bloody Sunday.
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Nighthawk Breakfast Bar
Not all breakfast concepts aim to start your day. Los Angeles’ Nighthawk Breakfast Bar is a dark cozy nightspot serving up elevated breakfast for dinner from 6 pm to 1 am. With items like spiked cereal milk and drunken French toast, it’s the perfect place to start and maybe end the night before sunrise. For the early risers though the brand also launched a daytime spin-off Nighthawk AM with a 1950’s vibe and a whole lot of old school breakfast comforts.
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Breakfast Republic
Open from 7 am to 3 pm in San Diego and surrounding areas, Breakfast Republic’s eclectic aesthetic seems to reflect the restaurant’s whimsical and witty menu items like the cluck madame and Oreo pancakes. Along with a unique breakfast fare they’ve got an extensive list of beers and boozy cocktails like a morning mule to entice the early birds. The brand’s irreverent attitude has struck a chord with locals so much so that there’s an often a line out the door.
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Rise Biscuits and Donuts
With the perfect mix of sweet donuts like a frenchy flame torched crème Brulee and savory biscuits like the spicy chickaboom, there’s something for every palate and enough variety to entice breakfast any day of the week. An approachable attitude has helped the chain grow with the mainstream breakfast crowd looking for a little food adventure. The fast casual’s pace and better breakfast mission are dominating the breakfast game.
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Taste of Belgium
When you hear the word Belgium there’s probably plenty of noteworthy cultural references that come to mind, but for any breakfast fanatic, it’s waffles. With a 120 lb. cast iron waffle maker from his native hometown in Belgium, chef Jean-François Flechet made waffles the menu focus for Taste of Belgium. In the heart of the Midwest, the brand’s scratch kitchen is warming up the souls of patrons with sweet and savory renditions.
These restaurant concepts may have put all their eggs in one basket, but they’ve also honed in what consumers are looking for and satisfying appetites… letting them eat what they want, when they want it. The niche category allows for restaurant focus rather than being all things to everyone all day long. Expect to see more developments like these on the horizon as consumer food trends narrow to inspire more specialty concepts.