Serve up a Sandwich

According to a 2008 study by NPD Group, roughly one in three restaurants offers some type of breakfast sandwich, making the morning classic almost as common on quick-serve menus as burgers. The NPD study also notes that among the foods that are growing in importance for quick-serves, breakfast burritos and wraps are at the top of the list. Portability seems to be the biggest selling point: According to a study conducted by Mintel, a market research company, 21 percent of consumers polled said they choose breakfast items that they can eat on the go.

At Whataburger, for example, the breakfast menu includes eight types of sandwiches, such as buttermilk biscuits with sausage or bacon, an egg and cheese sandwich on a toasted bun, and Breakfast on a Bun (pork sausage or bacon with egg and cheese on a toasted bun).

The breakfast mainstays at Sonic include the SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito, made with scrambled eggs, cheese, tater tots, sausage, onions, peppers, and jalapeños wrapped in a flour tortilla; and the CroisSonic Breakfast Sandwich, made with melted cheese, eggs, and sausage or bacon on a croissant. Even Bruegger’s is in the process of developing a breakfast panini, which it plans to add to the lineup this fall. And the Pop Shop sells an unusual item called “Eggs in a Cup,” which is low-carb, “great for moms on the go,” Fisher says, and sells for $2.50; it has become one of the company’s best-selling dishes.

Make it Affordable

For customers on a budget, ordering a breakfast dish at dinnertime can be easier on the wallet than the traditional dinner entrée. The check average is more acceptable, says Richard Zavarro, vice president of food and beverage for the restaurants at Mohegan Sun, a casino and resort based in Connecticut. The casino boasts three restaurants where consumers can pick up an inexpensive breakfast meal into the wee hours of the morning: Birches Bar and Grill, which is open 24-7; Chief’s Bagels, which features 12 varieties of New York–style bagels topped with ingredients that are made to order; and Imus Brothers Coffee, where assorted muffins, danishes, coffees, and selected sandwiches are available around the clock. Birches serves a $12.95 steak and eggs entrée that Zavarro says is one of its most popular.

“People can get their protein fix and enjoy a good meal at a good price,” he says. There are bargains to be had even at the lowest end of the value scale. Sonic restaurants recently added a $1 menu, and included a breakfast sandwich, the Jr. Breakfast Burrito, in the lineup, selling it for $1.

Start with a Signature Dish

One of the best ways to begin developing an all-day breakfast menu, restaurant owners say, is to start with what you do best. Denny’s, with its Build Your Own Grand Slam, is a direct spin-off of the restaurant’s popular breakfast plate. At Fisher’s Pop Shop, which is known for its use of local produce, the owners shop the farmer’s market each week for the freshest ingredients and incorporate those seasonal items into breakfast dishes like the Red/White/and Blue Bettys (pancakes with a fresh mixed berry topping) or the Breakfast Sundae (yogurt, fresh berries, and granola in a parfait glass).

“Don’t reinvent for reinvention’s sake,” Dillon says. “Start with the basics—something familiar.” And if you don’t have a signature dish to spin into a breakfast meal, there’s always eggs, any style. “You can put a sunny side up egg on everything—pancakes, waffles, steak, you name it,” Zavarro says. Eggs are also a great place to start because they hold well, “especially if you aren’t equipped to do eggs made to order,” Fisher says.

Think Outside the (Cereal) Box

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can experiment with breakfast for dinner in ways that combine sweet and savory, such as Whataburger’s Chicken Biscuit with honey butter, or try replacing the traditional breakfast foods with elements that are trendier. “We’re definitely seeing more variety, especially with breakfast meals that are served any time of day,” Zavarro says. “People are stepping away from bacon and sausage. Now breakfast meats could be pulled pork, steak, a pork cutlet, chicken sausage, Italian sausage.” Bruegger’s Bagels, for example, has a breakfast sandwich that incorporates smoked salmon and capers. The Pop Shop recently began serving Vegan Pancakes, sometimes served with vegan sausage, which are quickly becoming a popular breakfast-for-dinner option.

A number of quick-service restaurants are also turning to regional flavors to help set them apart. First Watch offers an innovative breakfast item called the Chickichanga (eggs with spicy chicken, chorizo, green chiles, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, onion, and avocado rolled in a crispy flour tortilla and topped with Vera Cruz sauce and sour cream). And Perkins restaurant chain offers a Santa Fe Fajita Chicken Omelette with strips of chicken, peppers, onions, tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, crispy tortillas, and two types of cheeses.

Unlock the Potential

Despite the number of quick-service restaurants buying into breakfast for dinner, the category remains largely underdeveloped, a 2007 Technomic report found. For some businesses, marketing makes all the difference. Chick-fil-A has had breakfast items on its menu for quite some time, but still can’t seem to get consumers to buy into the idea because the restaurant is mostly associated with chicken-centered meals that seem more suitable for lunch or dinner. Companies like Starbucks, however, have proved that—given the right push—breakfast for dinner can become a winning ticket with consumers.