How breakfast foods are invading other dayparts

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and for the many consumers who crave breakfast all day long, it’s the most delicious, too. For noncommercial foodservice operators looking to increase sales of breakfast foods, taking a page from restaurant chains like McDonald’s, Denny’s and Panera, which serve morning items at all dayparts for snacking, can be beneficial.

Snacking is ingrained in many consumers’ habits. In fact, a whopping 80% of consumers say they snack at least once a day, according to Technomic’s 2018 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report.

In the noncommercial arena, breakfast might generally consist of dishes like eggs and bacon, but sweets and baked goods such as doughnuts, muffins, Danishes and sweet rolls are also prominent, and they’re items that lend themselves to all-day consumption. Indeed, 26% of consumers say they would be likely to order mini desserts as snacks, according to the Snacking Occasion report. Consider items such as large, small or mini muffins from the Chef Pierre® Breakfast Bakery line, as well as donuts or Sara Lee® cinnamon rolls, to fill this need.

Creating cravings

Operators can maximize snack sales by displaying individually wrapped baked goods such as Danishes, cinnamon rolls and muffins for easy grab-and-go options at the check-out line. Nearly half (48%) of snack purchases are impulse purchases, according to Technomic’s Snacking Occasion report, so keep those tasty baked goods at eye-level to create appeal and increase profits. Here are some delicious Danish pastry options to consider.

Effective merchandising is key. Signage at point-of-sale and at customer-facing display windows will help encourage sales. Traffic from visitors to the facility should not be forgotten. As they walk past the windows, they can be drawn in with displays sharing product photos and baked goods prices.

Displaying baked goods near the coffee machines is an easy way to boost sales, especially as a part of bundled deals—coffee paired with a doughnut, muffin or coffeecake at a discounted price, for instance. And don’t forget to offer bottled water, tea and milk with a variety of whole, low-fat, skim and non-dairy options because some diners desire something other than coffee with their snack.

A full 13% of consumers are eating more sweet snacks now than they were two years ago, according to Technomic’s Snacking Occasion report. That sweet-tooth number jumps to 20% for 18- to 34-year-old consumers. They might crave items such as icing-topped cinnamon rolls, glazed doughnuts or double-chocolate muffins. Chef Pierre® offers a comprehensive line up of options that help eliminate labor and food safety worries – simply thaw and serve.

Savory and sweet

Of course, some consumers yearn for the savory. Offerings should include an array of options such as speed-scratch biscuits that are made with real buttermilk and just a touch of honey. All operators need to do is thaw and serve with a pat of butter and a single-serve pack of syrup, jam or honey.

Diners searching for better-for you options who still want something sweet will be satisfied by biscuits or muffins with whole grain ingredients. For these consumers in particular, operators should point out the grain and fruit content of muffins, Danishes and breakfast cakes and the low-fat attributes of certain muffins. Operators will want to play up these healthy attributes on POS signage to win over more patrons.

Options for everyone

Finally, operators should emphasize variety by displaying breakfast baked goods in clear see-through display cases so customers can see the scratch-crafted appearance and the wide assortment of products. Adding tongs, wrappers and paper bags so customers can select and self-serve, or offering free mini-sized samples of new items will encourage trial. Also, having pre-packaged to-go options ready to take in clear clamshell containers will spur impulse sales.

Quality, choice and value—that’s the way to sell breakfast all day long.

The full line of delicious Chef Pierre® Breakfast Bakery as well as Sara Lee® cinnamon rolls are perfect for healthcare and other non-commercial establishments. Create all-day menu appeal with these thaw-and-serve customer favorites.

Learn how easy it is to increase sales with a turnkey Bakery To Go Program!