Breakfast at the café: what to offer increasingly demanding customers?

Breakfast can be much more than just a meal that fuels up for the challenges of the day. For many, in fact, it is an important convivial moment, a valuable opportunity to spend time with loved ones, share thoughts and plans, and nourish not only the body but also the spirit.

Unfortunately, the hectic pace of modern life contrasts with the ideal of a home breakfast full of calm, peace and well-being. And so, although most people prefer having it at home, breakfast at the café has become a daily ritual for millions of people (10.8% of the population, in Italy), regardless of where they live. 

Each country has its own traditions when it comes to breakfast: if, for example, in Italy it is sweet and usually light, in Germany it is a bit heartier and usually based on savoury foods; however, coffee is the protagonist in both cases. 

Regardless of different traditions, the café is an oasis of comfort where you can satisfy the craving for breakfast without sacrificing your time. Eating breakfast at the bar is customary in big cities, where people rely on trusted baristas to start the day with a quick meal before plunging into urban chaos. 

For managers and baristas, breakfast is the most important time of the day, the time when receipts peak and competition is fierce. Low prices work up to a point, since the average receipt is low and prices tend to align, at least within a certain geographic area.

So how to stand out? With the experience you offer the customer. 

First, you need to arrange for impeccable service, which is far from trivial while also preserving the right profit margins. Unfortunately, in the morning people have no time to waste, and a moment that should be calm and relaxing can turn into stress if the wait becomes excessive. To solve this problem, it is essential to optimize work, start early (whenever possible), have the right tools, ensure short waiting times, hire competent staff, and offer a kind and efficient service.

Second, it is essential to ensure the right amount of products. Too often at the café, one has to make do with what is available, especially in the morning when demand exceeds supply. The careful management of the latter can make all the difference in attracting and satisfying customers.

Finally, quality and innovation play a key role. Bar offers are often standardized across neighbouring areas, and people tend to go to the same places again and again more for the quality of the service than the food. However, in this situation lies a great opportunity for managers, who can immediately stand out by raising the quality and focusing on innovation. In fact, all it takes is a pinch of willpower and initiative to create something new and fascinating that can capture the attention and build customer loyalty. 

It may seem predictable, of course, but we recommend that you offer pinsa for breakfast. At least, try it and then evaluate the results. You will be surprised!

Pinsa Romana is versatile, which is why it is perfect for any taste and local tradition. Let's take the example of Italy, where breakfast at the café is usually based on sweet and light foods. Here, sweet pinsa is an ideal option, which can be prepared in a matter of minutes from pre-cooked bases and satisfies the desire for sweetness without weighing down. 

To start, we might suggest a fresh fruit pinsa, a slightly more caloric variant with yogurt and honey, or a great classic: apples and cinnamon. 

As for portions, just observe the behaviour of the customers, but start with a small portion and gauge the customers' interest. In just a matter of seconds, eventually, you can make it larger. 

In other areas, such as in Germany or, more generally, in northern Europe, people traditionally tend to prefer savoury foods, or at least to take them in consideration just as sweet ones. Moreover, breakfast provides a generally more significant caloric intake, as it is seen as the most important meal of the day. 

Pinsa fits perfectly into each of these scenarios, as it is perfectly suited to both sweet and savoury options. So why not place a pinsa with Nutella alongside one with salmon and cream cheese in the offer? Why not try a one with eggs and crispy bacon or a classic with cured ham? Finally, why not serve a very light tomato and arugula pinsa to start the day with the right energy without feeling heavy? Only the knowledge of local tastes and customs can point the way to success, but don't forget a little experimentation, perhaps mixing (carefully) different traditions. It will be fun, and it will certainly be appreciated by customers!