Banking on Breakfast

One interesting item along these lines comes from micro-chain Wow Bao, which has three units in Chicago: the Breakfast Bao with egg, spinach and mushrooms. Au Bon Pain also has a portobello, egg and Cheddar breakfast sandwich, while Dunkin’ Donuts offers a morning flatbread sandwich with egg whites, mushrooms, bell peppers and cheese.

IHOP offers some items along the lines of “tradition with a twist,” such as its Stuffed French Toast, stuffed with sweetened Swiss cheese and grilled, then topped with fruit. Lenow notes the item was the most-successful limited-time offer (LTO) in the chain’s history and was given a permanent place on the menu in 2007. “People are looking for a twist on the traditional—a bit of a surprise like the sweetness in the Swiss cheese—but they are not looking for a shock,” says Lenow.

Another example of this concept is the chain’s LTO Coffee Cake Pancakes, which had streusel combined into the pancake batter, and crumbled atop, along with fruit and whipped cream, in flavors like Lemon Blueberry, Cinnamon Apple, and Pecan Streusel.

A number of LTOs have made the transition to Mimi’s regular menu, such as the Cordon Bleu Crepes (filled with eggs, ham, green onion, Swiss cheese and drizzled with Dijon cream sauce) and two croissant sandwiches—Ham and Cheddar and Southwest Jack, with the latter consisting of eggs, bacon, Jack cheese, sliced tomatoes, and a green chile and citrus remoulade.

NUTRITION COUNTS

“We’re going to be faced with a nutritional scenario that’s legislated on the West Coast, but it will spread, where we’ll have to publish nutritional information,” says Baird.