Today’s consumers have moved well beyond breakfast, lunch and dinner. They’re wanting meals and snacks on their own terms, from morning ‘til late night.
But here’s the good news, operators: It will take some work, but finding ways to maximize non-traditional dayparts such as brunch, late-night, snacking and all-day breakfast can spell big profits for your operation. Here are four eating occasions to focus on for 2017 and tips for how to make the most of them.
Younger consumers, especially, are getting hooked on brunch. Some 34% say they now consider breakfast and brunch more of a destination, compared to two years earlier, according to Technomic’s recent Breakfast Consumer Trend Report. This breakfast-brunch hybrid fits well into guests’ on-the-go lifestyles.
To play up the social aspect, be sure to menu fun, craveable dishes such as breakfast pizzas. Let diners customize items such as build-your-own steel-cut oatmeal or yogurt parfaits with a range of toppings.
Oklahoma State University recently launched B&B, Co., a new concept that stands for Breakfast and Burgers. The dining area, developed in response to student requests for brunch, features oatmeal soaked overnight in yogurt, gourmet burgers and other items. The new concept also offers a way to maximize use of the griddle for both traditional breakfast items and traditional lunch items throughout the day, without wasting time or energy.
Like brunch, the expanded late-night daypart is another way to cater to the busy schedules of students. Whether they’re studying for finals or wanting dinner at non-traditional times because of sports practices and activities, students are seeking out late-night menus. Some want indulgent menu items. Others are seeking better-for-you choices. Nearly a quarter of restaurant consumers, especially younger ones, say late-night menus are a business driver, according to Technomic’s recent Future of FSR Consumer Trend Report.
Northwestern University recently converted one of its lesser-used dining halls into a late-night facility, tripling meal counts there. The facility offers traditional comfort foods as well as an expanded plant-based menu to cater to diverse tastes.
Today’s consumers are truly the snacking generation. Some 83% of all consumers say they snack every day, and 38% of young consumers say their definition of snacks includes more types of food than it did a couple of years ago, according to Technomic data. Improved grab-and-go snacks such as yogurt parfaits and smoothies, as well as snackified versions of popular entrees, are smart options for operators looking to make the most of this daypart. Offer branded, eye-catching packaging. And survey foot traffic to target snack spots to the best locations. Playing up snacking can also be a great way to reduce food waste.
Union Collegiate Academy in Tulsa, Okla., for example, has seen double-digit increases in prepared snack sales, all the while cutting down on waste. Leftover fruit from breakfast gets repurposed in grab-and-go yogurt parfaits. Chicken tenders from lunch can be tossed in ranch and rolled into spinach flatbread for snack wraps.
It’s well-known across the food industry that the breakfast daypart has blurred in a major way. Some 61% of consumers ages 18 to 24 say they enjoy eating breakfast at nontraditional times, up from 52% a couple of years ago, according to Technomic’s Breakfast Consumer Trend Report. And 45% of males in that demographic call all-day breakfast a major driver of their business, the report found.
Offering breakfast items throughout the day is a smart strategy. Consider menuing items such as egg sandwiches or on-trend global twists on breakfast such as shakshuka, along with traditional offerings such as pancakes, waffles and breakfast meats. On-the-go students also respond well to portable breakfast favorites offered all day, such as smoothies, yogurt parfaits and muffins. Durango School District in Durango, Colo., loads a cart with grab-and-go breakfast items to sell throughout the day, during passing periods.
Yogurt is versatile. It’s convenient. It’s a better-for-you option for snacking and more—morning, noon and night. In a world of changing eating patterns, Dannon® can help you meet the needs of your specific consumers. Our product portfolio includes single cups and drinks for on-the-go snacking and personalized meal bundles, and bulk solutions for parfait bars and menu applications. We’re here to help you. Get inspired >>
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