Steak n Shake cooks up breakfast sandwichesSteak n Shake cooks up breakfast sandwiches

INDIANAPOLIS As the breakfast war heats up in the quick-service and full-service sectors, Steak n Shake is targeting on-the-go consumers with new breakfast sandwich combos and smoothies.

The sandwiches feature scrambled eggs, cheese, and a choice of bacon, sausage or a Steakburger patty on a bagel or grilled sourdough bread. A bagel breakfast sandwich combo, which includes hash browns and a 16-ounce Seattle's Best Coffee, sells for $3.99. The sourdough breakfast sandwich combo sells for $4.99.

Steak n Shake also has added fruit smoothies to its breakfast lineup, in such flavors as raspberry, strawberry, banana and strawberry-banana. The smoothies are made with milk, fruit and low-fat frozen yogurt.

While Steak n Shake's restaurants are open 24 hours a day, the new items are available only at traditional breakfast hours, the company said.

Ramped up breakfast programs at such quick-service competitors as McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts and Wendy's recently have put pressure on Steak n Shake and other full-service breakfast specialists to protect their market share of the daypart.

Denny's, for example, is supporting its new $5.99 breakfast platters with an ad campaign that urges consumers not to fall for "fake" breakfasts at fast-food chains.

Like Steak n Shake, Village Inn also is appealing to on-the-go customers with a new prototype restaurant that features a coffee bar and display cases for muffins, coffee cakes and other grab-and-go items.

Indianapolis-based Steak n Shake operates or franchises more than 400 units in 21 states.