It's an artificial division, a tyranny of the plate. Many people have been conditioned to follow an unwritten rule about what is proper to eat at different times during the day. The seeds of revolution exist though, and there are rebels who seek to cast down the old rules, and ignore the authorities who try to dictate what we eat. I fully support these rebels and I firmly believe that the time has come to destroy these barriers.
I, and others, desire to enjoy "breakfast" foods all day long. No longer should we be limited by the time of day to enjoy bacon & eggs, a stack of pancakes, or a savory waffle. Why are such foods relegated to the morning? There is no rational reason why they must be so limited. Let us enjoy them in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Let us enjoy them any time during the day we want.
A 2014 Reuters article found that 72% of U.S. adults wished restaurants would offer breakfast items all day. More recently, the
MarketWatch (July 2020) noted how the current pandemic has significantly hurt restaurants serving breakfast, primarily because of less commuters and less people working at offices. With so many remote employees, restaurants, especially in heavy business districts, have had far less customers.
The article especially mentioned chain restaurants stating that about 25%-30% of sales at
McDonald’s were for breakfast items. Other chains have a smaller percentage of sales, such as
Jack in the Box at 20%,
Burger King at 13%-14%, and
Wendy's at 8%. Breakfast is quite popular and the public clearly wants to enjoy it all day. Why hasn't this happened yet? Why haven't more restaurants exploited this desire?
Of the independent breakfast spots I know, which usually also serve lunch, they commonly close in the early afternoon and aren't open for dinner. Why not? They serve breakfast for the entire time they are open, in the morning and afternoon. So why not extend it to the evening as well? They don't even have to provide the usual dinner items. Just serve breakfast foods.
Some restaurants seem to understand, adding dishes to their dinner menus which have breakfast items, like the popular Chicken & Waffles dish. Above, is a delicious Fried Lobster & Waffles dish from
Saltie Girl. A creative chef could easily concoct all sorts of compelling dishes using traditional breakfast foods. Let's see a dinner Omelette, a sandwich using Pancakes as the bread, or even a Waffle pizza. Stop thinking breakfast foods have to be served only in the morning. Give the people what they want, explore your culinary creativity, and let's see what new dishes you can concoct.
Do you have any favorite restaurants which serve breakfast items for lunch or dinner?
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