Sponsored by Miss Vickie’s®.

Chances are, if your customers were to vote on their top 5 favorite meals, there would be some kind of sandwich on that list. The format has been around for centuries, spanning too many iterations to count. A huge reason for the popularity and longevity of sandwiches is how versatile they can be. There really is no limit to what ingredients can be used to create the perfect sandwich. Which is probably why it’s so apt to be spread across every type of menu and throughout every single daypart.

While most all sandwiches purchased away from home today are for lunch and dinner (Technomic Sandwich Consumer Trend Report, 2018), customers’ growing need for portability is driving breakfast sandwiches to grow. And considering the continuing trend of all day breakfast fare, it’s even more valuable to have breakfast sandwiches be part of your menu offerings.

With convenience being the key for restaurant breakfast occasions, foods showing growth are breakfast sandwiches and portable breakfast foods, like yogurt and cereal bars.

– NPD Group, May 2016

 

So, while it’s tempting to lump sandwiches in with foods relegated to the lunch menu, you would be missing out on some of the most satisfying, mouthwatering sandwiches available. Not to mention the opportunity they can provide your operation. 

With breakfast sandwich trends on the rise, now is a great time to look at your early morning offering to see if you have that hearty, easy-to-eat menu item customers are seeking out. If not, you’re in luck, because you probably already have all the ingredients you need. However, the more unique you can make your breakfast offerings, the more you’ll distinguish your operation and stand out in customers’ minds. Have a signature sauce? Create a signature bacon, egg, and cheese offering. Customers love your omelets? Put them between two slices of bread and let them enjoy the most important meal of the day on their way to work.

Of course, dinner sandwiches shouldn’t be left out of consideration. This is where you can get really creative. You can create some incredibly satisfying, hearty menu options with almost anything on your menu. Take a typical lunch sandwich and make it even heartier with more meats and cheeses. What about a Cheesy Chicken Sloppy Joe? Or a Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese? Or set your operation apart with something your customers would never expect. Something like a Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese or a General Tso Chicken Sub will surprise and delight their taste buds and keep them coming back to the only place they can get their new favorite.

If you’re worried about branching out too far by serving up the more outlandish dinner or lunch options, you can always compliment your meal with a classic side like Miss Vickie’s® Kettle Cooked Potato Chips to help ground it with the flavors customers have come to know and love over their sandwich-loving years.

Breakfast, lunch or dinner, sandwiches are always a sure bet and a great way to appeal to an extremely wide audience. But how wide an audience is totally up to you. Offer a well-known favorite for the masses or create something totally unique to your operation they can only get there. Really, the only rule when it comes to sandwiches is to make it delicious.