10 Ways to Give Diners What They Want: Delicious Brunch

No longer reserved for Sundays and Mother’s Day, consumers are indulging in brunch more often and the phenomenon has grown so much that the word brunch, once a noun, is now also a verb.1 Research reveals that the top reason consumers are inclined to eat brunch at a restaurant is because it’s a great way to socialize with friends and family.²

That’s why your patrons want brunch, but what’s in it for your operation?

Brunch is profitable

Many breakfast and brunch items feature low-cost ingredients like eggs, baked goods and yogurt that can be bought in bulk, made with a twist or topped creatively, and sold at a higher price point as brunch items.

Not only that, if you’re considering offering brunch, buffets are a great way to test-out this day part and build revenue. Here’s why:

1. Faster service, higher turnover

No waiting for orders—customers come in one minute and eat the next. This means more guests are served, thus…more sales.

2. Predictable revenue

Charge one price for adults and one for kids. This simplifies the paying process-and once you know how many times you can expect to turn the dining room, you have a pretty good estimate of your income for the day.

3. Lower labor cost

When there are less menu choices, there is less table maintenance. You can get by with fewer servers and fewer cooks because nothing is cooked to order.

4. Less waste

Since you can use smaller plates to discourage diners from taking more than they’ll eat, you can increase revenue by reducing waste.

5. Strategic layouts

Place less expensive items at the beginning of your brunch buffet so customers fill up their plates with these offerings first. (Download our brunch buffet layout guide to get started.)

Easy brunch trends to serve at your operation today

Whether you’re going all-out with a brunch buffet, or just adding a brunch section to your menu, these easy and delicious brunch ideas are a great way to delight diners. Bonus! The indulgent brunch trend is sweeping across day-parts. Incorporate any of these ideas on your menu and serve any time as “brunch-all-day”!

1. Baked Goods & Grains
   • Top grain bowls with a fried, poached or soft-boiled egg to add breakfast appeal, or serve a version of this Thai Basil Bowl (a 2018 Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest winner!) as a brunch item.
   • Go beyond classic rolls and use biscuits to get in on current food trends with offerings like Whole Grain-Rich Mini Pizzas, or Poached Egg and Spinach Breakfast Bowls.
2. Anything, Waffled
   • Waffle your biscuit dough for this Chicken in a Biscuit Waffle Sandwich, or put Pillsbury Best™ Place & Bake™ Cinnamon Roll Twirl Dough in a waffle iron for a delicious cinnamon roll-waffle hybrid.
3. Mashups
   • Combine flavors innovatively for more applications and increased wow-factor. For example: serve tater-tot nachos with poached eggs and hollandaise as Eggs Benedict Totchos!
4. Savory Touches
   • Take advantage of salt flakes to offer items in flavors like salted caramel, salted chocolate and salted cinnamon orange.
5. Breakfast Salads
   • As consumers seek more veggie-forward items,3 this is a perfect trend for all-day brunch service. Offer Yoghurt Veggie Salad with a poached egg on top, or this Curried Kale Chicken Quinoa Salad with a sweet baked good on the side.

For more great brunch ideas, check out this brunch inspiration video, crunch numbers on your revenue potential with our profitability calculator and download our free brunch kit. You’ll get a brunch buffet layout guide, customizable menu inserts and more!