Sunny Side Up: All-Day Breakfast Trends Hit the Spot

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and trendsetters are taking the meal traditionally consumed first thing in the morning and expanding its horizons.

All-day eating is a new key trend for 2021, and moving forward there isn’t necessarily a designated time of day for eating breakfast in the United States. This is expanding into foodservice, according to General Mills Convenience & Foodservice, inspiring culinary trends across the country that would make anybody get up on the right side of the bed — even after a midday nap.

The poll of 2,038 adults found: 

• 24% of Americans report eating more breakfast foods during the COVID-19 pandemic than they normally would (24%) with items such as eggs (72%), cereal and pancakes (both 51%) and bakery items such as donuts (36%), cinnamon rolls (34%) and muffins (33%) among the top favorite breakfast items
• 79% of Americans have eaten breakfast foods outside of the traditional breakfast meal in the past year
• Consumers who are eating more breakfast foods during the pandemic over the past year are doing so because they feel they have more freedom in what and when they eat, since they have more time in their schedule (52%), they’ve been craving their favorite breakfast foods (37%), they want to eat something fun that brings them joy (33%) or breakfast favorites remind them of childhood (24%)
• 62% of consumers have a deep affection for breakfast, saying breakfast is their favorite meal of the day and over half (56%) saying they love breakfast food more now than they did a year ago
• 79% have eaten breakfast foods for meals other than breakfast in the past year with more than half (59%) saying they have eaten breakfast foods for dinner; 49% have enjoyed breakfast foods for lunch and 20% have eaten breakfast items for dessert
• 75% look forward to eating breakfast/brunch at their favorite restaurant once the pandemic is over with 36% saying they would like to be able to purchase breakfast/brunch meal kits (e.g., biscuits and gravy, pancakes) or ”take and bake” breakfast items 
• 66 percent) said they love creative twists on breakfast menu items

Let’s take a look at the all-day breakfast trends coming fresh out of foodservice kitchens:

Trend No. 1: The Breakfast Pizza

A year ago, the LloydPans innovation team wrote a blog: Breakfast Pizza’s Ingredients Add to Mouthwatering All-Day Popularity. And, a year later, that trend is booming even hotter than ever. Breakfast pizza was the fastest-growing breakfast item in the second half of 2020, outpacing scrambled eggs and bagels, according to PMQ Pizza Magazine. From a hangover breakfast pizza with ham, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, scallions and sunny-side up eggs to an all-day chicken and waffle pizza with white sauce, green onions, cheddar cheese and habanero- and orange-infused honey to even C-store carryout breakfast pizza, the category is cracked wide open.

Trend No 2: Heartier Grab-and-Go

Sure, Americans love the all-day breakfast bar concept. But, foodservice professionals are taking advantage of what they cooked up at home during quarantine, bringing unique breakfast sandwiches and other fast, savory breakfasts to the takeaway menu. In fact, the Food Network’s website shared the best breakfast sandwiches from all 50 states, and the photos alone have us planning a road trip.

Trend No 3: Mish Mash Beyond Brunch

Breakfast plus lunch equals an American institution: the brunch. And, it’s inspired combinations beyond noon to include all-day grilled cheese doughnuts, biscuit avocado toast, breakfast casserole and bressert, which combines breakfast items and desserts to create the strawberry scone shortcake, birthday cake pancakes or breakfast sandwiches with yogurt parfaits. Delicious pairings, indeed.

Need your all-day breakfast menu to sizzle? LloydPans has the pans for you: from Pizza Pans to Bacon and Egg Pans to our Entree Pans, our Foodservice line is made for your menus: morning, noon and night.