Start the Day Right with More Cafeteria Breakfast Options
Breakfast is probably one of the most important meals of the day and and such, cafeterias in offices and schools are opening first thing in the morning to offer breakfast options to existing and new clientele.
The key to making breakfast work in a cafeteria setting is to offer a variety of options that patrons can either eat at the tables, or take back to their desks. The more diverse your options are, the more guests you can cater to. From cold food options to hot items, let's explore some winning breakfast options that you can serve in your cafeteria.
Cold Options
For customers that want something cold to eat for breakfast, it's important to have a varied selection of cold items. This includes fresh fruit, cereal, pastries and more. Yogurt, either plain or fruit flavors, served with different toppings such as granola, berries or almonds, are quite popular as are bagels and cream cheese. When offering cold items, be sure to maintain anything that requires refrigeration to be stored at temperaturs below 40 degrees to prevent contamination and foodborne illness.
If you plan on having carbohydrates such as bread, muffins, bagels or pastries, that people will want to heat up, they should be left at room temperature and kept covered. There should be a toaster or microwave available so customers can warm up or toast these items to enhance their flavor and freshness. It is also important to have condiments available for these items such as butter, jelly and cream cheese. You will also need to have milk for cereal, juices and a hot water urn for coffee or tea. A wide selection of teas and instant coffees can also add to the appeal of your breakfast menu.
Hot Options
For those patrons who want something hot for breakfast, you can offer things like scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles and more. If you are going to offer scrambled eggs, make sure that you have a few varieties available such as cheese, vegetable and mushroom onion. Always make sure to use “liquid eggs” for making scrambled eggs. The citric acid in the eggs will help to keep them from turning green while sitting on the steam table.
You can also purchase frozen pancakes, waffles, crepes and other items in bulk so that you can simply heat them up in the oven and put them out on the steam table in the morning. A wide variety of warm items, with their fresh smells wafting through your cafeteria, is the best way to entice your customers to make these warm food purchases.
If you are set up for serving lunch at your cafeteria, then you may already have the food warming and holding equipment needed for serving soup, gravies and other items. You can use these soup wells to keep breakfast foods such as oatmeal, grits or cream of wheat, hot and ready to eat. Your customers may want to choose these items as their main course, or in addition to any other items they plan on getting.
Grab and Go Options
If your cafeteria is set up as a cash-per-item operation, you might want to select some grab and go items that can be purchased and taken to the office or classroom. Foods such as cold yogurts, juice bottles, ready made sandwiches, or pastries are a great way to make sure you can market to those that might not have the time to sit down and eat.
Be sure to have a refrigerated merchandiser set up next to the cash register that contains all of the to-go items you want to sell. You can sell both breakfast and lunch items in this merchandiser, so customers can buy items for breakfast as well as for later on in the day. In this way you can capture some lunch business even before the lunch hour begins, and your customers will appreciate the convenience of being able to get the food they want when they want it.