Portable and tasty, breakfast sandwiches continue to be a popular choice for early morning consumers on the go. They now appear on 7 percent more menus than they did five years ago, according to research from Datassential.
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The research firm, which monitors the menus of more than 7,000 chain and independent restaurants, also noted that premium ingredients became more widespread on breakfast sandwiches in 2012.
Asiago and fresh mozzarella were the fastest-growing cheeses on breakfast sandwiches between 2011 and 2012, appearing on 38 percent and 35 percent more breakfast sandwich menus, respectively. The presence of balsamic vinegar more than doubled on breakfast sandwiches, and Dijon mustard could be found on 98 percent more of them.
Bold flavors, such as horseradish and sauerkraut, became more widespread, appearing on 78 percent and 55 percent more on breakfast sandwiches, respectively. High-fiber breads, such as multigrain, got more traction, too.
Some indulgent ingredients also grew in popularity on breakfast sandwiches, such as thick Texas toast, which is now on 35 percent more breakfast sandwiches than it was a year ago. Fried chicken is now available at more than twice as many breakfast sandwiches as it was a year ago, and breakfast sausage is on 38 percent more sandwiches. Mentions of hollandaise on breakfast sandwiches rose 41 percent.
Contact Bret Thorn at bret.thorn@penton.com.
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