With lingering challenges forecasted throughout 2010, hotels are looking for areas to build some positive momentum and stem the tide of softening sales. Breakfast continues to be a daypart ripe for innovation and growth.

Technomic recently completed an omnibus study on consumer attitudes and behavior regarding away-from-home breakfast consumption. Despite the economic downturn, we look at opportunities here and see potential for hotels to see incremental growth; given the prevalence of breakfast within hotel food and beverage sales, this must continue to be an area of focus.

Some notable menu trends we see for the breakfast daypart include:

• Value is a critical component among today’s foodservice consumers. Among many operations, particularly more full-service establishments, value is more likely to be linked to hearty portion sizes via combo plates, while handheld breakfast offerings such as sandwiches and wraps at limited-service chains convey value with portability and convenience attributes.
  
  
• Bold flavors. When it comes to flavor, many operators are going the “bold route” for breakfast with peppery Southwestern-style entrées, while more emerging and independent menus are adding sweeter, fruity accents to breakfast offerings.
  
  
• Differentiation through signature sandwiches. While guests expect traditional breakfast sandwich varieties, offering a signature or specialty breakfast sandwich can also help to set a concept apart by marking flavor differentiation on the menu.
  
  
• Premium proteins. Underscoring a premium characteristic for proteins—with applewood-smoked, honey, and hickory menu descriptions for bacon, ham, and sausage—increases the quality and value perception of these offerings.
  
  
• Biscuit sandwiches. Particularly among smaller players and independent operations, we’re seeing menus that are more likely to promote biscuit-based breakfast sandwiches and sandwiches that feature ham in the preparation. Both of these versatile ingredients can signal either a homestyle or artisan offering.
  
  
• Health and nutrition take center stage. Lower fat, sugar, cholesterol, and carb contents indicate a healthier breakfast offering, but a menu that emphasizes the characteristics of fresh, seasonal, local, or organic ingredients can often convey health just as effectively.
  
  
• Beverages play a role. Cold drinks such as iced teas and soft drinks dominate beverage selections overall, and specialty coffees are a category worth watching. Opportunities to create differentiation with tea and coffee exist by innovating with flavors for these items.

Although breakfast is often touted as the most important meal of the day, survey results indicate many consumers skip it on a regular basis. Just 30 percent of consumers polled say they eat breakfast every weekday, while 59 percent usually skip breakfast at least once during the week. On the weekend, 40 percent say they never skip breakfast. Hotels are uniquely positioned to capitalize on breakfast trends, and as spending softness continues, breakfast may offer a bright spot of continued opportunity.

David Henkes is a VP at Technomic, a Chicago-based consultancy focused on away-from-home eating and drinking. For more information on food and beverage trends in foodservice or on other issues, please contact David at 312-506-3927 or at dhenkes@technomic.com.