CHICAGO Many consumers think of breakfast as more than a morning meal and wish restaurants would offer it all day, a new Technomic study has found.
In its Breakfast Consumer Trend Report, Technomic found that 46 percent of consumers say they would like breakfast to be served all day at full-service restaurants, while 32 percent said they would like all-day breakfast options at limited-service restaurants. Technomic surveyed 1,500 U.S. consumers for the study.
The data also found that women are significantly more interested in breakfast foods for lunch or dinner than men.
“Operators looking to expand breakfast into other dayparts should be mindful of their customer base and develop new offerings accordingly,” said Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Chicago-based Technomic. “Understanding the general flavor, ingredient and preparation preferences held by female consumers can help operators and suppliers introduce the most appealing breakfast options beyond morning hours for these guests.”
The Technomic study also found that 43 percent of respondents said they visit their preferred restaurant for weekend breakfasts because the food tastes really good. Comparatively, 45 percent said their weekday breakfast visits are driven by inexpensive offerings and 38 percent said convenience of location was a factor.
Sixty-three percent said they expect breakfast purchases at restaurants and convenience stores to remain about the same next year.
Breakfast continues to be a focus for many restaurant operators. Casual-dining chain Ruby Tuesday expanded a test of weekend brunch earlier this year, while fast-food chains Taco Bell and Wendy's have said they are retooling their breakfast options. Meanwhile, both Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks have added more healthful breakfast options with the introduction of egg-white sandwiches.
Breakfast sandwiches remain popular with consumers, Technomic found. Today more than 77 percent of customers buy breakfast sandwiches sometimes or often during weekdays, compared with 73 percent in 2007. On weekends, the purchase of breakfast sandwiches increased from 61 percent in 2007 to 70 percent in 2009.
Consumers also said they were more interested in purchasing premium coffee beverages. Thirty-four percent of respondents said they preferred premium coffee compared with 29 percent in 2007.
Contact Elissa Elan at [email protected].
