Breakfast has become the final frontier in the struggle over health, convenience and profit in the U.S. diet.
Starved for growth at other mealtimes, companies like Yum Brands Inc., YUM +0.39% Burger King Worldwide Inc. BKW -0.62% and Kellogg Co. K -1.27% are battling to change how Americans start their day. But even as consumers back away from cereal to experiment with more protein-rich foods, their habits remain otherwise entrenched: most Americans still eat breakfast at home and follow morning routines more rigid than during the rest of the day.
"People are time-pressed in the morning and know exactly where they're going, and that doesn't vary much," said Alex Macedo, Burger King's North American president, in a recent interview. That chain claims 2.8% of the $47 billion spent each year on fast-food breakfasts in the U.S., according to brokerage firm Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. This year it started offering its value-menu items at breakfast and added burgers to the morning menu in an effort to boost sales.
Read the Full ArticleMembers help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.