It’s widely believed that breakfast is the most important meal of the day for physical health – and the same might be true to run a booming business.
An increasing number of UK restaurants have extended their offerings to sell Instagram-friendly breakfast plates to a nation hungry to start their day in a trendy joint dining on decorated avocado toasts or full English fry ups.
It’s no doubt a decision fuelled by the potential for booming business – a goal recently realised by popular chain, The Breakfast Club, which reported its best trading in 10 years this week.
The price of a breakfast plate rarely differs from the cost of a main dish, with The Corner at Selfridges charging £15 for its newly-introduced ham and egg flatbread – a price you might expect to pay for a lunch or dinner.
Talking to FEMAIL, James Hacon, Managing Partner at Think Hospitality Consulting explained that an increased demand for breakfast menus stems from Gen Z’s move away from alcohol, with the younger generations longing for more booze-free activities.
The Breakfast Club recorded its best sales figures in ten years, revealing the nation’s love of eating breakfast foods outside the home (pictured: TikTok user @hm.kw7 dining at the Soho branch)
The Breakfast Club, a chain established in 2005 and named after the 1985 coming-of-age film, this week reported its best trading in 10 years.
The chain, which serves all-day breakfasts, reported that its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization jumped by 40 per cent to £2.8million during the year that ended March 2024.
Its growth is partly due to the opening of four new locations in the past year, which it said was ‘the most accelerated period of growth in the history of the business,’ according to Caterer.
There’s evidence of other restaurants realising the business potential of breakfast, with high street favourite Wagamama introducing a brunch menu featuring new twists on their classic dishes.
The chain, which sells breakfast bao buns and bang-bang hash browns, cited an increased customer demand for the reasoning behind the move.
Kay Bartlett, Chief Marketing Officer said, ‘We’ve seen an increase in consumer demand for an all-day dining offering and appetite for brunch dishes.
‘This announcement is in response to that, and we’re thrilled to introduce our Wagamama take on brunch.
‘The decision to open our restaurants at 8.30am has involved a great amount of hard work and dedication from our brilliant teams and we’re all really proud and excited about this latest round of innovation and chapter in the Wagamama story.’
Selfridge’s’ Jackson Boxer at The Corner jumped on the trend and started offering a breakfast menu (pictured) from April
Meanwhile, a breakfast at Nandos has become an airport essential for some, including content creator Chloe, who goes by @alwayshungrychloe on Instagram (pictured: Chloe’s breakfast)
Fans of Nandos have also demonstrated their excitement for dining at the chain opening in the morning.
While the store, famous for its peri peri chicken, does not offer breakfast at all locations, it implemented a morning menu at Gatwick Airport.
Fans have taken to social media to praise the decision as ‘incredible’, while travel content creator Jazz, who goes by @lifeofjazz__ on TikTok, said: ‘POV: You love flying out of Gatwick Airport only because you love a Nandos breakfast’.
Upscale joints have also jumped on the trend, with Selfridge’s Jackson Boxer at The Corner announcing a brunch menu earlier this year.
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They’re not the only upscale restaurant to follow the trend, and in February, Mayfair’s Barely Mow also added a breakfast menu, with items including oysters for £4.50 each and a £19 full English plate added to the menu to cater for its breakfast crowds.
Wagamama has opened its doors to the morning crowd, offering a range of dishes, including bang bang hash browns and bao buns
The Barely Mow in Mayfair introduced a breakfast menu in February, including a pub breakfast (pictured) for £19 or a small version for £14
James Hacon, Managing Partner at Think Hospitality Consulting, explained that serving breakfast is a tool for economic growth for restaurants.
He said: ‘Breakfast has long been a growth driver for restaurant groups. Even before the pandemic, more and more people were choosing to eat out in the mornings.
‘It’s an underserved mealtime and often overlooked by brands, with most restaurants traditionally focusing on lunch and dinner. Those that put effort into breakfast are seeing big rewards.’
He continued: ‘Several things are driving this breakfast boom. More people, especially the younger crowd, are enjoying socialising without alcohol, and breakfast is perfect for that.
‘Business meetings over breakfast are also popular, letting people get together before the workday starts.’
In line with Nandos move to introduce a breakfast menu at Gatwick Airport, James continued: ‘In airports, it’s crucial for brands to nail breakfast.
‘With so many travellers in the morning, having a great breakfast menu makes sure the space is used well at a crowded time and boosts revenue in expensive real estate for the operators.
‘This has pushed many brands to start offering breakfast, across many different cuisine types, even if they didn’t before.’
Elsewhere, Development Manager at Good Food Studio Gabriel Bray found that introducing breakfast is a way of reaching a new customer base.
‘It’s more than just adding a breakfast menu, but rather adding a new day part to your business, which while bringing complications, such as new opening hours and operational complexities, is an opportunity to boost revenue,’ he said.
Gabriel continued: ‘For one, your doors are open longer and to new demographics, such as commuters on the go, office workers, and residents increasing customer traffic.
‘Breakfast items typically offer better profit margins due to cheaper ingredients and are less labour intensive. There is also an opportunity to upsell customers on items such as pastries, juices and coffees, which are also quick to sell and cheap to make or procure.
‘While spend per head may be lower during breakfast that is offset by a quicker turnaround time allowing you to flip tables and serve more customers per hour. Also importantly, your rent costs the same, regardless of if you’re open six hours or twelve.
‘Not all concepts or locations lend themselves well to breakfast and many owners, especially independents simply don’t have the knowledge or frankly the time.
‘It does take planning to add a new day part and your larger chains such as Nandos or Wagamama are more suited to it due to having the resources at hand to manage the transition and to plan strategically.’
While national chains might find it easier to extend their offerings, a number of independent restaurants have also jumped on the trend.
Carina Contini, owner of Edinburgh’s Contini, found a string of benefits to opening the restaurant’s doors earlier, one that might not extend to national chains.
‘As a business that has been part of the Edinburgh dining scene for over 20 years, we’ve always seen breakfast as more than just the first meal of the day,’ she said.
‘From the very beginning, breakfast at Contini has been a vital part of our strategy to connect with the community.
‘Breakfast is a crucial time to engage with our guests and gives us a unique opportunity to foster relationships and build loyalty.
‘It’s a time when people seek a positive start, making it perfect for us to showcase our commitment to quality and service.
She concluded: ‘We’ve seen first-hand how serving breakfast drives business growth and encourages repeat visits by catering to different needs throughout the day.’
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