We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, when consumers’ time for breakfast is crunched, they’re turning to foodservice establishments for a quick option — and a popular choice is the breakfast sandwich.
Breakfast handhelds are big throughout all food-industry segments, including convenience stores. Menu mentions of breakfast sandwiches at c-stores are up 8.9% over the last two years, according to Technomic’s MenuMonitor data.
High margins, increased sales and expanded hours make breakfast a great opportunity for every foodservice operation, but this is especially true for c-stores.
More than half (55 percent) of consumers buy c-store breakfast items at least once a month, more than at any other daypart, according to Technomic’s October 2016 C-Store Market Intelligence Report. And, 51 percent of consumers say they would buy c-store breakfast sandwiches, at least occasionally, according to the same report.
With the interest of consumers — along with the popularity of breakfast sandwiches at c-stores — on the rise, operators should look into these menu items as a way to provide an immediate boost to daily profits.
Consider this cost breakdown:
Estimated Cost Per Breakfast Sandwich
Medium Egg | $0.09 |
Canadian Bacon | $0.17 |
Cheese Slice | $0.10 |
English Muffin | $0.29 |
TOTAL: | $0.65 |
This breakfast sandwich, at an estimated cost of $0.65, could easily be sold by a convenience store for $2.49. At that price, the profits add up, even if sold at low volumes.
Number Sold per Day | 10 | 20 | 40 | 80 |
Daily Sales Volume | $24.90 | $49.80 | $99.60 | $199.20 |
Daily Cost | $6.50 | $13.00 | $26.00 | $52.00 |
Daily Profit | $18.40 | $36.80 | $73.60 | $147.20 |
The right equipment can make it easy for any sized operation to add breakfast sandwiches to its menu, but this equipment also needs to be able to help operations address consumers’ need for fresh, quality breakfast items.
Nearly 60 percent of all foodservice customers believe c-stores are just as capable as restaurants in providing fresh food and beverages, according to Technomic. Sixty-seven percent were Millennials —the most frequent visitor for c-store foodservice.
In order to meet this expectation, toasting and cooking to order becomes important.
For example, the Antunes Egg Stations with Dual Zone offer a convenient way to serve freshly cooked eggs for breakfast sandwiches, avoiding the food degradation that can occur when an item is pre-cooked and held too long. Additionally, toasters from Antunes can consistently toast English muffins without sacrificing wait times.
Interested in discussing how Antunes can help you expand your breakfast program? Contact our team. Or, if you’d like further c-store insights, read this article about foodservice and design.