Automatic_Merchandiser_October-November_2020 - 15

While providing breakfast options
in the workplace offers the unparalleled convenience of skipping lines and
avoiding delays during the morning
rush, there's an even greater demand
with COVID-19 safety concerns and
social distancing playing into eating
occasions. Consumers want more
handheld, prepackaged options that
answer the call for convenience,
portability and versatility in quick,
low-contact breakfast items.
MORNING CRUNCH

More than half of adults said they
are more likely to pick up a breakfast
meal, snack or beverage from a quickservice restaurant or coffee shop on
their way to work than they were two
years ago, according to the National
Restaurant Association's 2020 State of
the Industry Report. Coffee and snack
establishments reported that 47% of
their customer traffic is during the
morning hours.
Another shift in the breakfast
landscape is that traditional breakfast
foods are no longer confined to the
morning daypart - they've grown
in popularity as an all-day meal or
snack. This signals even more opportunity for operators to expand their
vending and micro market menus to
capture more sales and please patrons
around the clock.
Just look to quick-service chains
for inspiration: Wendy's, McDonald's,
Dunkin', Starbucks and Panera have
expanded breakfast menu offerings
and reengineered items to be more
portable. And full-service chains like
IHOP and Denny's, already established in the breakfast space, are
offering all-day-breakfast menus as
breakfast for lunch and dinner have
become mainstream. McDonald's,
Wendy's, Denny's, IHOP and Panera
have all begun offering delivery during
the breakfast hours.
IHOP announced a new fast-casual
breakfast spinoff called Flip'd that tar-

Kodiak Cakes offers a variety of
nourishing breakfast or any-time-of-day
meals in a cup.
Kodiak Cakes

gets customers who want breakfast on
the go, serving up reimagined IHOPinspired items, like pancake bowls, egg
sandwiches and breakfast burritos.
"In looking at what exists today in
terms of fresh, fast menu options -
particularly at breakfast - there's still
tremendous opportunity for growth,"
said IHOP president Jay Johns. "After
talking extensively with consumers
in large cities across the country, we
designed Flip'd by IHOP to deliver on
what folks told us they want and need
from a trusted brand like IHOP in a
fast-casual setting, putting an emphasis on quality ingredients, speed, to-go
and delivery."
The NPD Group's Future of
Morning study, released earlier this
year, illustrates how morning foods
are changing. "While breakfast as an
institution is deeply rooted, the what,
how and why surrounding our food
and beverage choices and where we get
them is changing," said David Portalatin, NPD food industry advisor and
co-author of the study. "Busy schedules
mixed with good intentions and the
need for fuel shape what we eat and
drink in the morning."
The NPD study found that consumers today are becoming less con-

cerned with the food itself and more
interested in solutions that can bridge
meals. In their quest for functional,
convenient and enjoyable foods, easy
access to food drives the decisionmaking process of what to eat.
"Consumers are looking for
foods and beverages to meet their
needs - not for a food
that fits a specific meal
or snack daypart,"
Portalatin stated. "Food
Coffee
and snack
manufacturers, retailestablishments
ers and foodservice
report that
operators all have an
nearly half of
opportunity to make
their customer
traffic is during
breakfast and morning
the morning.
snack food acquisition
seamless by focusing
on the consumer needs and offering daily solutions, including niche
nutritional needs."

47%

BETTER-FOR-YOU
MEETS INDULGENT

Appealing to health-focused consumers without sacrificing indulgent taste,
Kodiak Cakes, based in Park City,
Utah, offers a variety of nourishing
single-serve breakfast or any-timeof-day meals-in-a-cup. The proteinpacked cups are all made with 100%
whole grains and non-GMO ingredients for a wholesome meal, just by
adding water, stirring, microwaving,
and digging in.

October/November 2020 * VendingMarketWatch.com

15
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