When it comes to breakfast these days, one size doesn’t fit all.

Of all the restaurant dayparts, perhaps none has seen as many transformations as breakfast. From its golden-child status as the most important meal of the day to a brush-off by those following intermittent fasting diets, “rise and shine” has taken on new meaning for so many. Then there’s the encroachment of its much more fun sibling, brunch, with the weekend-only meal sometimes extending itself to weekdays. Chef-driven pastry shops and specialty bagels spots have also taken a bite out of restaurants’ breakfast revenue.

But not all is doom and gloom. Breakfast at restaurants is seeing a resurgence alongside the return-to-the-office work schedule with many a business meeting taking place first thing in the morning, leaning into the adage that the early bird gets the worm. There’s also a trend of chefs embracing their own cultures not only at lunch and dinner but breakfast too, taking it in new and exciting directions — ube pancakes, anyone? — and attracting new customers.

Even the fast-casual sector is pushing the breakfast envelope. This spring Portillo’s launched a test of new breakfast offerings in five of its Chicago locations. The tightly curated menu, available 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., leans into its Windy City roots with items such as a Polish sausage, egg and cheese sandwich, and a collaboration with the Stan’s Donuts chain that riffs on Portillo’s iconic chocolate cake. A $7.99 meal deal that includes coffee offers further enticement. While the verdict is still out at press time on whether the chain will offer its breakfast elsewhere, according to a spokesperson, it has received plenty of attention and begs the question, “What’s for breakfast today?”

Photo courtesy of Lettuce Entertain You

Morning Meetups

“Not only has breakfast changed, but it’s also one of those meal periods that’s become super versatile,” says Marc Jacobs, partner at Beatrix. Part of nationwide restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You, there are five Beatrix restaurants in the Chicagoland area, along with four more casual Beatrix Markets. “Breakfast means so many different things to different people.”

With its restaurants located near or next to office buildings, a hotel and a hospital, Beatrix has seen an uptick in customers during breakfast, including in its private dining rooms. “Today with so many people working from home or working a split week, breakfast has become more of a meeting spot or a time when people will schedule appointments and even head to a restaurant to do work,” says Jacobs. “For our restaurants, it’s become very popular.”

Beatrix also offers a brunch menu that mostly mirrors its breakfast offerings with one big modification by way of boozy brunches. “The biggest difference would be at brunch there is a drinking component and more of a party or family gathering,” Jacobs says. Also, at brunch unlike breakfast, solo diners are a rarity.

Laura Lentz, FCSI, design principal at Culinary Advisors, echoes that sentiment. “Brunch is more something people do intentionally and for the purpose of socializing,” she says. “It’s more than just the food—brunch is about the experience.”

Another morning trend Lentz has noticed is the increase of those who aren’t looking for a full meal but more of a snack or something quick. She first became aware of this pre-COVID and credits the Millennial generation for its popularity. “From a design perspective, there’s the importance of making sure you have quick access to grab-and-go items so customers aren’t in a line with those who are waiting for a full meal.”

When it comes to takeaway breakfast offerings, as well as those on the sit-down menu, paying attention to well-being is important. “Many consumers still consider breakfast to be the most important meal of the day from a health and wellness standpoint,” says Mike Kostyo, vice president of Menu Matters, with diners wanting to start their day on the right foot nutritionally. “Protein, satiety, energy and gut health are the trends that are dominating the health space for the morning meal.”

At Beatrix that has meant adding items such as yogurt parfaits, overnight oats, muesli, acai bowls and avocado toast, along with lower-calorie options. “We are seeing more smarter guests who care about what they are eating for breakfast,” says Jacobs. But at the same time, he adds, you also must have the classic breakfast dishes. A bacon, cheddar and egg sandwich remains a top seller.

Sticking to what it’s known for as well as adding in some trendy items here and there is a philosophy that has worked well for IHOP. On IHOP’s menu its signature buttermilk pancakes appear alongside a fresh berry salad and protein-enriched pancakes. “My culinary team loves to get creative in the kitchen, developing a lineup of flavors that brings our pancakes to guests in a fresh way,” says chef Art Carl, vice president of culinary. He notes that IHOP recently brought back its New York Cheesecake pancakes for a limited time. “We have expanded over the years to include more diverse lunch, dinner, and all-day options, yet breakfast remains at the heart of who we are.”

Value, now more than ever, is a focus at IHOP, with some locations offering $6 and $7 breakfast meals. “Currently available Monday through Friday, our House Faves menu demonstrates the positive impact of offering a value platform that adapts to our guests’ priorities during the week,” says Carl.

Adds Jacobs, “People don’t want to spend as much money in the morning, so you have to be price-conscious and value-driven for that meal period even more so than some of the others.”

Beatrix has noted an uptick in customers for breakfast.

Morning Flavor Expansion

Flavors from around the world continue to find their way onto morning menus. “Global breakfast dishes are one of the most impactful trends in the category,” says Kostyo. “You see international dishes growing at breakfast, like chilaquiles, breakfast bao, Japanese souffle-style pancakes and shakshuka, but you also see a lot of global flavors used in breakfast dishes. Every other waffle has matcha or ube in it these days.”

That’s something Lentz has seen in the projects she designs, a majority of which are foodservice at hospitals, higher ed and workplaces. “There is definitely more interest in different cuisines,” she says, especially in higher ed. “The way it is affecting design right now is more about designing for the preparation and assembly method versus trying to very specifically design for a specific menu item. The flexibility is baked into it, and that’s how you can meet a very specific cuisine need but not lock yourself into it forever.”

Since it opened its first location 12 years ago attached to a hotel, Beatrix knew the business traveler would be a key customer. With that in mind, the restaurant created a breakfast menu that pulled from everywhere, including Japanese-inspired chicken meatballs and chimichurri steak and eggs. But with a small kitchen footprint necessitating a concise menu, changing things up is embedded in Beatrix’s mindset. “We are always looking at our top 5 and 10 items, and anything not there is potentially on the chopping block,” says Jacobs.

The popularity of independent pastry shops is also impacting breakfast. “When you look at what’s happening in pastries, it tends to be these really bright, over-the-top, colorful ones that do well on social media and shows that consumers are still looking for those viral experiences,” says Kostyo. “There’s an opportunity to showcase some of those same elements in traditional breakfast options.”

While the pastry proliferation has yet to fully hit the noncommercial market, Lentz has seen signs of its influence. She recently visited the foodservice operation of a hospital that had dedicated 500 square feet of its kitchen, one-sixth of the overall square footage, to creating house-made baked goods.

At Beatrix, freshly made baked goods, both sweet and savory, are a priority at its restaurants, adjoining markets and pastry/coffee bars. Their extensive variety, ranging from a chunky monkey cookie and superfood muffin to a bacon croissant, includes gluten-free and vegan offerings.

Beatrix’s pastries also provide a solution to a problem that breakfast often creates for operators. “From a menu perspective, breakfast can be the one meal a day where it can be a one-dish meal,” says Jacobs. “In the restaurant business, we always want to sell a starter, drink or dessert. We have the benefit of a bakery and coffee bar where we try to get that extra pastry, cookie, coffee or juice with their dish as that upsell.”

Breakfast beverages have also undergone transformations of their own. Sometimes that means customers using a drink as a morning meal. At Beatrix that could mean coffee that offers functional wellness benefits, fresh blended juices or a smoothie with nut butters. The restaurant recently launched house-made flavored milks, including an oat banana version, that is used for iced lattes. Having a “workhorse coffee machine” is critical, says Jacobs, with Beatrix using a mix of automatic and semiautomatic equipment. 

In the noncommercial world, Lentz sees a demand for better quality coffee drinks, albeit not with the high price tag. Her answer has been to recommend single brew or bean-to-cup type machines instead of a whole dispenser or pot, which also helps with waste.

To-go and delivery continue to impact restaurants overall, including at breakfast. “From mobile ordering to delivery, breakfast is no longer confined to the kitchen table,” says Carl. “Our guests are not only looking for delicious options they can eat while enjoying a nice breakfast in-restaurant, but also on-the-go as they navigate their busy schedules.”

Customer modifications to menu items is an area that IHOP’s Carl has seen increase at breakfast. “Our guests are looking for customization,” he says, which includes choosing how their eggs are prepared, options for substitutions, or mix and match with sweet and savory options. 

Then there are the modifications on the operator side when prices rise, or ingredients are unavailable. “It’s not just with eggs; it’s with everything,” says Jacobs. “You have to be malleable and flexible with your menu. Menu engineering is so critical to the success of restaurant.”

Transition to Lunch

Transitioning from breakfast to lunch is also top of mind for operators. For Lentz that means being thoughtful when it comes to the flexibility of the operation. A recent design she completed perched breakfast toasters on a beautiful, mobile, wood-topped counter that then functions as a setting for lunch’s salad dressings. “The elements of the design have to be able to convert so you have that nice presentation, but you’re also offering everything you need to,” she says.

IHOP reports guests increasingly want to customize or modify breakfast menu items.Another piece of equipment that’s been a success when it comes to breakfast has been convertible refrigeration units that go from refrigerator to freezer or units with thaw capabilities. “You can put your sausage patties in overnight, thaw them down and come in in the morning and they’re ready to go on your griddle.” And speaking of griddles, Lentz recommends models with multiple surface temperatures so you can have bacon on one side, eggs on another and perhaps pancakes on a third.

Advanced meal preparation with adequate refrigerated holding space is always top of mind for Lentz too, which helps in cross-utilizing, say, those leftover hard-boiled eggs from breakfast that can become egg salad for lunch.

At Beatrix, the transition from breakfast to lunch is a constant dance of finding ways to become more efficient. Staging ahead of time is one solution. Offering more cold items in the morning is another option that helps take some of the weight off Beatrix’s busy egg station. More frozen offerings, including a recently launched frozen acai bowl, is something the restaurant group is experimenting with for breakfast.

Equipment plays an important role in breakfast success at Beatrix too, including a heavy flattop grill and range station, and combi ovens. “A lot of it starts at the very beginning,” says Jacobs. “When we build a restaurant, we build the menu first and then we build cookline.”

The ordering process includes some of the biggest innovations that operators have seen, both overall and for breakfast.

IHOP has migrated to a new cloud-based POS system that trimmed table turn times, and grew tip and check totals in their restaurants, says Carl. “This system has improved integration of back-of-house technologies to online ordering and payment platforms, including server tablets.”

Beatrix recently launched a payment system that allows guests to register and pay their bill on their own without their server. “If they’re ready to go, they can scan and pay their bill,” says Jacobs. “Our guests love it.”

As for the future of breakfast, Kostyo has his eye on Generation Z. “They have been a very experiential generation that wants sweet, over-the-top flavors, so it will be interesting to see if they still seek that out as they age,” he says, adding that all the trends in place now will most likely continue. “Operators will need to continue to serve a lot of different needs and wants when it comes to breakfast.”