Despite its recent growth spurt and thoroughly modern image, there’s nothing new about brunch. Smithsonian magazine reports that the term “brunch,” the now familiar breakfast-and-lunch hybrid, first made its print debut in a British periodical in 1895. The story, titled “Brunch: A Plea,” called for an alternative to traditional, heavy Sunday breakfasts in favor of lighter fare served late in the morning. This new meal occasion was described as “cheerful, sociable, talk-compelling” and conducive to “a good mood.”

Its basic appeal remains relevant today and accounts for the surging, post-Covid popularity among consumers suffering from cabin fever and work-from-home isolation. Square, the digital point-of-sale provider, noted in 2023 that Saturday brunch had surpassed Friday lunch as the industry’s busiest daypart and cited pent-up patron demand and desire for socialization as key engines of growth.

Missing from this analysis is the critical role of the morning menu, which has become a wellspring of creativity, a reliable source of innovation and a powerful patron draw.

Global Accents

Credit: The Cheesecake Factory

East Asian flavors make a surprising and tasty appearance in The Cheesecake Factory’s Breakfast Kimchi Fried Rice and Eggs.

Chefs have been busily raiding the global pantry to lure adventurous daytime diners. Take hash, for example, the humble breakfast staple that has been reinvented as a preferred carrier for south-of-the-border dishes. First Watch serves a Carne Asada Hash with chorizo, bell peppers, jalapeño crema and housemade pico de gallo, all topped with eggs and tortillas, while Phoenix-based Hash Kitchen makes good on its name with a whole section dedicated to hashes. The options include Huevos Rancheros Hash, Breakfast Nacho Hash and the preemptively billed Best F#*% ing Birria Hash, which gives diners a taste of the uber-trendy Mexican meat stew made here with slow, chile-braised beef and plated with the requisite side of consommé.

Other brunch items take their inspiration from East Asian kitchens, as with the Breakfast Kimchi Fried Rice and Eggs at The Cheesecake Factory or the Habañero Pork Belly Fried Rice at Snooze, an A.M Eatery, which blends flavors from two distinctive global pantries. Last year, Early to Rise, a popular pop-up in San Francisco, opened a brick-and-mortar location with a menu that features the Burmese-inspired Samusa Potato Pancake, a savory, vegetable-filled nod to Indian samosas spiked with tamarind-coconut-lime yogurt and garam masala spices.

Middle Eastern—especially Turkish—morning fare is having a moment, too. The Copper Onion in Salt Lake City positions itself as an American brasserie and dishes up eclectic brunch specials, like Turkish Eggs, in which poached eggs are prepared with Greek yogurt and paprika butter. Shakshuka, the savory, tomato-based dish with poached eggs and peppers, has also graced the menu.

In a similar vein, Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen launched a weekend Turkish breakfast menu at its Northern California locations last year. Prominent on the bill of fare is a traditional Breakfast Board laden with sliced soujouk (Turkish fermented sausage), boiled eggs, cheese, olives, pastries and spreads both sweet and savory.

Comfort Plus

Credit: Ruby Slipper and Ruby Sunshine

Ruby Slipper and Ruby Sunshine show off their buttermilk biscuit-anchored Benedicts in the Trifecta, which includes the St. Charles Chicken, Eggs Cochon and Bayou Shrimp.

Hearty breakfasts, the kind that diners rarely prepare at home, have found a permanent spot on brunch menus and a ready audience for old-fashioned favorites. Cracker Barrel built its business on down-home dishes like Grandpa’s Country Fried Breakfast, served with a choice of country-fried steak or chicken-fried chicken and a side of sawmill gravy.

Hot cakes, griddled forerunners of contemporary pancakes, are getting more play, too. The Oat Hot Cakes at Hen Mother Cookhouse in suburban Atlanta cater to gluten avoiders, with a recipe that uses gluten-free whole oats, flax and hemp seeds; it’s all topped with poached fruit and maple syrup. The brunch menu at Grace & Grit near Charleston, S.C., features a Johnny Cake Short Stack made of traditional cornmeal and finished with whipped cinnamon butter and hot syrup.

Biscuits are also on a steadily upward trajectory. The prototypical Southern staple has propelled the growth of limited-service chains like Biscuitville and Bojangles and full-service operations. New Orleans-based sibling brands Ruby Sunshine and Ruby Slipper highlight their made-from-scratch biscuits through both the Biscuits & Gravy offering and its selection of “Bennies.” From the Eggs Cochon (with slow-cooked, apple-braised pork) to the Bayou Shrimp (Gulf shrimp sautéed with pork tasso and Creole tomato sauce), each Benedict is served atop a buttermilk biscuit.

Over-The-Top Indulgence

Credit: Another Broken Egg Café

Another Broken Egg ratchets up the decadence with its seasonal Tiramisu French Toast, which is filled with cream cheese and topped with espresso whipped cream and cocoa dusting.

Weekend brunchers are looking to treat themselves after a hard workweek, and operators are going all out to oblige them. In Minneapolis, Hope Breakfast Bar tempts with dessert-like German Chocolate Pancakes, Carrot Cake Pancakes and Piña Colada French Toast. This last, reminiscent of pineapple upside-down cake, is made with coconut milk batter, cream cheese, maple syrup and toasted coconut topping. A dollop of decadence also adds the finishing touch to Snooze’s Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes with almond streusel and vanilla crème, Hash Kitchen’s Red Velvet Pancakes with cream cheese frosting, and Another Broken Egg Café’s Tiramisu French Toast with espresso whipped cream and cocoa.

IHOP stokes customer appetites and promotes frequency through its Pancake of the Month programming, which definitively skews toward decadence. This past February, the brand translated an iconic Valentine’s dessert into a brunch offering with its Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pancakes: creamy cheesecake mousse, fresh strawberries, chocolate chips and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Next up—and, again, seasonally on point—are the Bananas Foster Pancakes, inspired by the New Orleans classic and arriving just in time for Mardi Gras.

A.M. Sips

Credit: First Watch

In addition to brunch cocktails, fresh juices, like the Kale Tonic, Morning Meditation and Purple Haze at First Watch, are currying favor with guests.

To boost margins and appeal to weekend imbibers, many brands are amping up their bar programs. Snooze’s all-day happy hour runs Monday through Friday and includes creative variations on brunch-time classics like Bloody Marys and Mimosas.

Beverages of another stripe share space with cocktails at First Watch, where the Juice Bar features freshly made drinks like Kale Tonic and Morning Meditation along with rotating limited-time, better-for-you quaffs. Health-conscious customers can boost their juice with the addition of a wellness shot of antioxidant rich vitamins.

Not surprisingly, restaurants are perking up their coffee program through specialties that would be right at home in a dedicated coffee brand. Cracker Barrel plays to its strengths with the Pancake Latte, which can be served hot or cold and features a sweet maple flavor. Ruby Slipper and Ruby Sunshine bring dessert to the a.m. with the Sugar Cookie Latte, featuring homemade sugar cookie cream.

Outlook and Opportunity

Looking ahead, the weekend brunch segment will continue to thrive as escalating return-to-office dictates make weekend breaks more attractive to workers. This popularity will be further compounded by value seekers, drawn to the daypart’s taste appeal and relative affordability.

Still, the menu will remain brunch’s critical underpinning. Chefs working in the segment have raised their R&D games to best-in-class levels, and this investment is certain to pay dividends well into the future.