Guide to Foodservice: Optimizing The Breakfast Daypart
NATIONAL REPORT — For the most part, the morning foodservice business at c-stores is in a good place. Per the 2024 Convenience Store News Foodservice Study, the breakfast daypart saw the most year-over-year sales growth compared to other times of day. However, with trip counts slowing and consumers demonstrating long-term changes to their routines, convenience retailers can't take breakfast for granted.
"We need to re-establish the old habit of stopping by a convenience store multiple times per week," said Liza Salaria, senior vice president, merchandising and foodservice practice lead at Lexington, Ky.-based Impact 21. "But things have changed. Commuting to work five days per week is rare. Drinking traditional drip coffee is no longer mainstream. Peak time for consuming breakfast is no longer those early morning hours — and the afternoon snacking occasion is on the rise!"
[Read more: A Retailer's Guide to Future-Proofing Foodservice]
She recommends convenience foodservice retailers ensure they have an updated, relevant menu with trendy flavor combinations, healthy options, cold coffee drinks and exceptionally high quality standards. Breakfast-focused promotional efforts also can help reach consumers who may instead be considering visiting a quick-service operator or coffee shop in the morning.
Using special deals and temporary items to encourage trial shouldn't be limited to just lunch and snack items. "Offering discounted pricing on new and limited-time offers, exclusive offers to our best loyalty customers, and incentives to visit more often are all effective strategies to drive incremental transactions," Salaria explained.
She also advocates for meeting customers where they are today, not where they used to be.
"Encourage customers to engage with your brand in the way they want to engage," Salaria said. "Today, 30% of Starbucks orders are made through the mobile app, demonstrating that whether it's order ahead, delivery or pickup in-store, convenience resides heavily outside the four walls. The convenience industry needs to be actively playing in that space to satisfy customer habits and maintain a competitive edge."
C-store operators may also want to open their minds and re-evaluate what constitutes a breakfast food. In 2023, Casey's General Stores Inc. commissioned a study that found that more than half of U.S. adults wish pizza was considered a more traditional breakfast food. Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey's stores have been serving up handmade breakfast pizza for more than 20 years.
Furthermore, retailers may want to try offering traditional breakfast items all day long, as the Royal Farms and Twice Daily chains have done. While this won't necessarily boost morning sales, it can solidify customers' view of a c-store as their brand of choice.
Rachel Saddler, senior foodservice category manager for Nashville, Tenn.-based Twice Daily, reports that "having breakfast available throughout the day has helped sales because it sets us apart from many QSRs [quick-service restaurants] in surrounding areas with a clear cutoff with their dayparts."
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