Brand News: Chains are changing breakfast offerings

Quality’s Corner Café

Choice Hotels’ Quality brand has changed not only the look and feel of its Corner Café, but is offering menu items that are hot, fresh and healthy.

“This gives guests the ability to choose menu items that meet their needs,” says Kevin Maven, director of franchise operations for Canada. “The business person on the road wants a healthy, fresh breakfast, not necessarily eggs and bacon. For families, we have a blend of hot station items like eggs, protein or sausage.”

Beta testing for the new breakfast finished last year and Choice is implementing it at the 20 Canadian properties that don’t currently have restaurants. Choice has 71 Quality hotels in Canada.


Econo Lodge changes raise value scores

The Econo Lodge brand has raised its value or customer service scores from 7.4 to 7.7 by improving its breakfast offerings. The improved breakfast program was introduced in early 2009.

The minimum requirement for Canada’s 48 Econo Lodges is to have coffee, fresh pastry, both sweet and non, and 100 per cent fresh orange juice. Many choose to augment this due to market conditions in a competitive environment, offering yogurt, fresh fruit, hot and cold cereal.


Comfort adds protein to Sunshine Breakfast

The Comfort Sunshine breakfast has been around for a long time, and most hotels are limited service with a specific menu offering. They have improved their protein offering on the breakfast bar, with hard cooked eggs, cheese cubes and yogurt.  Some offer cold cuts and breakfast meats.

“All Choice hotels have disposable cups and little bags, so that you can grab and go if you’re having your breakfast on the run,” Maven adds.


Rise ‘n Dine — HoJo serving waffles June 1

Starting June 1, Howard Johnson will be offering waffles as part of their complimentary breakfast program. “Many of our properties are already offering waffles to get a competitive edge on their competition,” says Glen Blake of Full House, which franchises the brand in Canada.

“As the industry trends change, Howard Johnson will continue to review and evaluate our Rise ‘n Dine breakfast offerings and ensure that our breakfast stays competitive in our market segment,” says Blake.

Howard Johnson breakfast bar

Best Western ups the breakfast ante

Breakfast is a great incentive when you’re appealing to the leisure market, says Best Western’s Neil Hornsby.

“For them, breakfast is standard and when it’s available for free, it’s a strong selling point. We always make sure to mention free breakfast in a deal or package because it’s such a strong incentive for leisure travellers to choose your property.”

All Best Western hotels now offer breakfast, although the company’s independently owned and operated business model allows for variations by property. “Each property has to have one hot item and there has to be at least one egg dish. The hot item can vary, but waffles are a popular choice,” Hornsby says.

“The term ‘Continental Breakfast’  has changed from what it used to mean, and as a result we have to keep up. Guests expect more than just juice and a bagel now, and property owners are exceeding expectations by not only offering a greater variety but also by doing a much better job at presentation.”


Homewood’s new menu saves staff time

Homewood Suites by Hilton offers a complimentary, daily hot breakfast, which recently underwent a major brand-wide re-vamp to upgrade and standardize the menu, says Bill Duncan, global head of Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites brand management.

“As a focused-service hotel brand, the new breakfast menu has allowed us to significantly reduce staff time spent in meal planning, food preparation and product sourcing. 

Homewood’s standard breakfast includes a hot egg offering, meat, side dish and bakery item, all of which are prepared on-site by staff.  

“The first step required all of our hotels to undergo a display ware and kitchen equipment upgrade to ensure everyone was operating at the same level,” Duncan explains.

“Next, we developed a new breakfast menu, which consists of five different tracks that vary the egg, breakfast meat, side and bakery offerings.

Options include the Italian Countryside breakfast that features a farmhouse frittata of fresh eggs, meats and vegetables.

“Each menu track provides suggestions on food pairings, presentation options, and detailed preparation instructions. Also, we standardized the products needed to produce our breakfast offerings, saving staff and money for the hotel,” Duncan says.

Homewood Suites re-vamped breakfast

Don’t forget cinnamon rolls for “indulgence”

Sue Morgan, VP, franchise food and beverage for IHG, says that Holiday Inn Express guests are looking for fairly traditional hot food items such as omelets, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage. They’re also interested in a selection of nutritional items.

But those guests are also indulgence driven, which is why Holiday Inn Express has its iconic cinnamon roll. “You won’t find a better quality cinnamon roll,” says Morgan.

Holiday Inn Express had researched and rolled out their express bar concept with the new hot specialty station starting in 2008, even before the brand’s relaunch.
 
One of the major challenges was working with the same 16-linear-foot area as before, since the 700 Holiday Inn Expresses all had the same breakfast area design. “We redid the look of the equipment and it is clearly something new, with a clear, crisp design, with solid surfaces of Corian and stainless steel,” Morgan explains.

Holiday Inn Express breakfast bar

Fairfield breakfasts are dependable, portable

Fairfield by Marriott is in the process of changing its breakfast sandwich to a tart-like quiche, just big enough for one person.

“We tested guest reactions and they were positive.  And it’s completely portable,” says Manlio Marescotti, VP development for Marriott in Canada.

“Guests want a breakfast that is dependable and portable. If they want to take it to their room, they can do that as well.” Other portable items include fruits, yogurts, breads and pastries.


Residence Inn now has whole grain waffles

“Waffles are a long-time popular item at Residence Inns, says Marescotti. “Most people don’t have a waffle-maker at home.  We are working on the flow in terms of cutting down wait time.

“We’re now offering more healthy, whole grain waffles,” he adds.

Canada will get its first TownePlace Suites in 2010.  Breakfast is now becoming a brand standard, and includes a portable cart set up during the breakfast period, then folded up and tucked away.  

Springhill Suites is enhancing its breakfast offerings by offering muffins, and other foods that are perceived to be fresher and less processed, even if they don’t have fewer calories.


Courtyard moves from buffet to bistro

Of all the Marriott brands, Courtyard has undergone the biggest change in breakfast menus, Marescotti says. Consumer research showed the traditional breakfast buffet was not meeting their needs.  Some people wanted grab and go breakfasts, while other wanted a full, complete breakfast.  

Courtyard, which charges for breakfast, has responded with a bistro concept intended to be quick service.

“In some ways, Courtyard food and beverage is the fastest growing foodservice brand. We have gone from zero to 100 [bistros] in one year, and we’re targetting 700-800 in the next few years.”

Courtyard has two bistro concepts.  One is almost like a Starbucks, with open panels where you can choose your food, and communal or small tables. “We’ve re-engineered the whole lobby concept to be more friendly from a guest perspective.

“The other concept involves pods in the lobby set up as a bar, but in the morning covered with cloths with breakfast items on top.”

Bistro at Courtyard by Marriott

Days: national brands

Irwin Prince, president of Realstar, master franchisor for Days Inns in Canada says, “Everyone appreciates receiving good value for their dollar, and providing a complimentary breakfast that features nationally respected brand-name products such as Kellogg’s cereals, Nabob coffees and Minute Maid orange juice reinforces the Days Inn commitment to being ‘the best value under the sun.’”


Skyline tailors breakfasts to clientele

Skyline Hotels has three very different properties serving free breakfasts tailored to guest needs. The breakfast at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Toronto enhances the overall wellness experience that the hotel provides, says Christine Jamieson, VP of marketing and public relations. “Their signature breakfast buffet offers healthy options including fresh juices, breads and cereals.

The breakfast at the Pantages in Toronto is executive continental with many low fat options for the busy traveler who is health conscious.

And the breakfast at Horseshoe Resort is a Canadian style breakfast buffet which includes both healthy and heartier options like pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausages etc, for the active guest who might spend the day skiing, tubing, golfing etc. and needs a little extra fuel to get them through an active day.

Novotel's "best bread"

Novotel: best bread

Didier Dolivet, general manager, Novotel Mississauga Center, says Novotel breakfast is communicated through the offering which features the “Best Bread in the City”.

“Each Novotel features on their menu the best quality and most popular bread of the city where the establishment is located. This approach allows to promote the best local product, the fluffiest croissants and make our guests discover the best bread products available in the region.”