The same old bacon and eggs or oatmeal and raisins won’t win you admiration from guests nowadays. They’ve seen and eaten it all. Knowing this, though, breakfast can be yet another overlooked opportunity to leave a lasting impression and boost your reputation. Here’s a simple test to see if your morning foodservice is staid. Order breakfast in your own restaurant and take a picture of what’s served on the plate. Now, go to any Denny’s — or any other well-known diner of this ilk — and order their Grand Slam or equivalent. This meal delivers a plethora of plate-filling carbs and all at a very reasonable price. If your plate looks similar to this, then it’s time to seriously rethink your approach. Remember, Denny’s price is well under $10, including coffee. That’s the baseline your customers have in the back of their minds — one that’s been imprinted through countless visits to various fast-food outlets. Of course, your price is going to be higher, as should your presentation, albeit there’s no guarantee the quality will necessarily be better.

Breakfast is a critical part of your operations and can drive home a great hotel experience by letting guests start their day on the right foot. Limited-service properties recognize its importance in attracting rooms revenue by including it in the rate. Even the quick-service restaurant sector has identified breakfast as universally appealing, with many franchises extending hours of availability from traditional mornings to all-day. Now is the time to rethink this meal and reengineering your breakfast menu is hardly an onerous proposition. As it generally delivers a high margin, your team has a lot of latitude in what it creates.

Let’s start with a staple — oatmeal. I encourage you to challenge your approach to this basic breakfast option. Does the presentation look visually appealing? Is it popping with a variety of colours? Does its smell titillate the nostrils and immediately make the stomach rumble? Can you differentiate your oatmeal from another property’s dish of a similar name?

The opportunity is making every dish your own. Creativity in ingredient selection, as well as presentation, delivers memorability which, in turn, equals greater meal satisfaction and increased revenues. Knife skills and a bit of positioning can create a fruit garnish that will turn a plain oatmeal bowl into a genuine selfie moment. If a local restaurant can do this, why can’t you?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.