Brunch All Week

Why stop at Sunday? Extend brunch to fill the entire week.

TREND 2

Brunch All Week

DON’T LET SUNDAY HAVE ALL THE FUN; EXPANDED OFFERINGS BRING THE BRUNCH BUNCH IN ALL WEEK

In many places, brunch has expanded from Sundays to encompass virtually any day of the week as more people move to remote work or alternative work hours. Rather than a quick snack, brunch often offers a more substantial meal, traditionally paired with an alcoholic beverage if guests aren’t returning to the office. Brunching coffee lovers will seek out specialty hot and cold brews with seasonal flavors and a caffeine pick-me-up.

Currently, pancakes are the No. 1 brunch menu item, according to American Eats, with mimosa’s popularity far surpassing any other beverage, including Bloody Marys. Whether enjoyed at home, carried out, or eaten in a restaurant, more consumers have been enjoying breakfast foods throughout the day since the pandemic began.

Eggs are mentioned on 92.7% of breakfast menus.

Restaurants offering brunch can entice customers by showcasing creative twists on the traditional (think chicken and pancakes, biscuits with queso and jalapeños, and plant-based meats such as vegan bacon and sausage). The family bundle works great for brunch, too. Trays of cinnamon rolls or sticky buns ready for the oven, or a breakfast casserole that’s easy to reheat on a busy Sunday morning are perfect ways to win repeat business. Many states can now legally offer alcohol to go, so mimosas and Bloody Marys are no longer off limits for brunch to go and delivery.

Global flavors continue to attract the interest of consumers, so a few international breakfast options are a welcome addition to the brunch lineup. Items such as shakshuka, polenta with sausage gravy, stir-fried breakfast noodles, and muesli, are often popular, depending on the region. Introduce some spice into beverages, too, by adding the heat of cayenne into a specialty coffee or habanero peppers stirred in a Bloody Mary.

How to Attract More Brunch Customers:

Post well-placed signage throughout the restaurant (including outside and in the restrooms) that announces, “Now Serving Brunch!”
Train servers to remind guests about other dining hours, such as brunch, before they leave
Feature a different brunch special of the week to inspire return visits (think rotating eggs Benedict, beignet or toast flights, a build-your-own coffee or Bloody Mary bar, etc)

Offer the favorites, but get creative with a couple of menu offerings, giving guests something special they can’t find down the street (homemade jam, honey-butter biscuits, plant-based chorizo, etc)
Impress non-drinkers with a lineup of colorful and delicious mocktails
Post photos of brunch menu offerings on all social channels

Offer bottomless mimosas and/or Bloody Marys with brunch

59% of U.S. consumers are interested in seeing more globally inspired breakfast items on menus.

BREAKFAST DISHES MENU ADOPTION CYCLE

_{^{Source: Datassential, The World of Breakfast, February 2021}}

Can’t Fail Brunch Favorites

Pancakes
French Toast
Waffles
Oatmeal
Breakfast Burrito
Eggs Benedict
Bagel with Lox
Avocado Toast
Roasted Potatoes or Hash Browns
Acai Bowl
Cinnamon Rolls and Croissants
Omelet
Frittata
Quiche

OPERATOR SPOTLIGHT
Why should Sunday have all the fun? That’s the thinking behind Toasted Gastrobrunch in Las Vegas. The brunch-centric venue is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. serving irresistible brunch menu items such as a classic Monte Cristo, short rib Benedict, crispy chicken and pancakes, smoked salmon toast, shrimp & grits, bloody Mary’s, and mimosas.

_{^{Sources: American Eats; Convenience Store News; Datassential, The World of Breakfast, February 2021; Datassential, International Concepts A.M. Eats, August 2021.}}