It’s easy to see how breakfast sales get overlooked. In hotels and restaurants that are busy for lunch and in the evenings, all man-power is directed towards those key times.

What you might not know is that it can be a key driver for sales if done correctly.

Hotels may have noticed a decline in breakfast uptake in recent years as people snub paying an excess and choose to go to local businesses for breakfast instead.

Here’s how to can encourage sales while keeping costs low:

Quality

It’s not always about the quantity of breakfast and increasingly customers are interested in eating locally sourced food.

This presents you with good opportunities to strike deals with local companies. Small businesses will be more likely to offer good rates (given that guests may enjoy their produce so much that they visit them).

That said, international guests will expect a range of food, so that should be catered for. But, pay particular attention to the local angle and you will leave a lasting impression.

It’s worth remembering that for the majority of guests, the breakfast will be the last meal they eat at your hotel before they leave.

Lower prices

Prices of hotel breakfasts are getting higher and higher, which in encouraging guests to find elsewhere for breakfast.

Charging £25 per person, per day for a buffet breakfast is a price many people would only pay for dinner.

If you were to lower the prices and increase the ratio of guests having breakfast, would you make more money? It’s a consideration that should be looked at before hiking the prices up.

Room Service

Be flexible. If guests would rather have their breakfast in their room, think about whether or not you need to charge them a surcharge. 

If your hotel is a budget hotel, it might be necessary to do this, but for a more luxury experience, the price should be included in the overall price of the rooms. 

Think about the time in which your serve breakfast too — is it working for your current guests? If you’re not sure, ask them in the questionnaires when they leave and adjust it accordingly. 

Local Diners

How do you feel about having local people in for breakfast? It’s something to consider. People are always looking for somewhere nice to go for breakfast and if you’ve got empty seats every morning, could this be something that might work for you? 

Service

Just because hotel breakfasts tend to be buffet style does not mean you should scrimp on your front-of-house experience. 

Have somebody there to serve tea and coffee, to pick up your plates when you’re finished and to have a chat with your guests if that’s what they want. People have just woken up and they want to feel as though they are being spoilt with their experience.