Everyone’s doin’ it – should you?
Australian diners have a penchant for brunch. Bacon, eggs and avocado tastes as good for many people at 3pm these days as it does at 8am. Those cafés looking to benefit from customers’ growing desire for a late brunch, might consider offering an all-day breakfast option to their menus. Even McDonalds has done it after all!
If you are a traditional breakfast, lunch, dinner café or restaurant and considering making the change to a day-round menu you should consider the following questions:
Is your location right for a breakfast crowd?
There are of course some people who will go out of their way for a nice breakfast – but most are looking for convenience and simplicity when they roll out of bed in search of food (no matter the hour). If your restaurant is in an area that is generally surrounded by residential developments, all-day breakfast may be worth trying. If it is in a place that people will have to drive to and battle parking spaces and shoppers to reach it may not be as good of a fit.
Who else is doing it in your area?
We’re not saying you should copy anyone – but if there are other restaurants and cafés in your area serving all-day breakfast with lines out the door each day it’s a sign there is definitely a market. You should consider what items they have on their menu and how much they are charging before making any decisions about your own offering.
Will it complicate your kitchen processes?
After the launch of all-day breakfast some restaurants find their employees are unhappy with decision, saying it creates cramped and unhygienic kitchens. What is your kitchen (and your chef) like? Will it be possible to introduce an all-day menu with your existing menu or will you have to make changes so the steak for the lunch menu isn’t taking up the grill you need for your eggs and bacon.
Will breakfast complement your ‘brand’?
If you are already well-known in your area for lunch and dinner, you need to ask yourself why you are considering breakfast. Are you sure promoting an all-day breakfast won’t lessen your reputation as the go to place for a long lunch? Of course, there are venues that can do all three meals (and everything in between) successfully, but this does not come without its own set of challenges. The bottom line is that you want to make sure you aren’t cannibalising your dinner and lunch crowds for less-lucrative brunch crowds.
Before your commit to any drastic menu change, consider doing a trial run first. Perhaps only offer all day breakfast on weekends or for a week. Does it increase your customer base? Does it generate a respectable income or is it not worth the added hassle in the kitchen? Are your chefs still happy?
If the answer to all these questions leads you to an all-day brunch – that’s great news and the start of a perfect opportunity for your venue. Get in touch with us to talk about products that will complement your new menu – from pancakes to super thick toast, brioche buns to muffins we’ve got you covered.
