Fast food breakfast was the up and comer at the beginning of the year, but now that we are half-way to 2021, we see that it has fallen short of expectations. Wendy’s is a prime example, as they were preparing to bring an all-new breakfast menu to their offering. Even McDonalds was coming out with a couple of new chicken sandwich breakfast items. Those days are gone, and today, our mornings are much different.
I don’t think anyone needs to be told that 2020 is not exactly what we expected it to be. The pandemic has taken a heavy toll, not only on the lives of many people but also on the restaurant industry. Those restaurants are not completely gone but they are struggling.
Fox Business reports that breakfast sales at restaurants had gone up four-fold in the previous 5 years but it hit a wall and went down 20% as of June.
Part of why the downturn is evident is because many fast-food chains started to cut back on their menus. After all, they were dealing with a reduced workforce and perhaps some interruption of the food chain. The All-Day breakfast was the first to hit the road, so to speak. Sure, it may be temporary but there isn’t any indication as to when it will start again.
Business Insider spoke more on the subject, reporting that many chains were feeling the pinch, including Starbucks, Panera Bread, and even Dunkin’. Some have even switched to early afternoon focus since many may be heading home at that time and are looking for a switch.
We don’t know where this is going, but we do know that McDonald’s and other chains are dedicated to bringing us back to the breakfast table again. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.