Breakfast Chains You Are About To See Everywhere

We all know the old adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and lately, restaurant-goers are taking that attitude to heart. Daytime dining is in high demand as many people have started going out for breakfast and brunch with friends, family, and dates instead of a standard dinner. While this may just seem like a passing trend, the business of breakfast shows no signs of slowing down. 

For a lot of consumers, it's a practical option amidst a dwindling economy and inflation. "Going out during the day happened during the last recession when people didn't have money to afford to go out to dinner," restaurant owner Jessica Koslow told Eater. On top of that, more people are working remotely or in freelance gigs, creating flexible schedules that make it easy to go to the restaurant during the day.

Restaurant owners have noticed the growing love for breakfast, and many have capitalized on it with new locations, which typically close their doors before the evening. The breakfast boom doesn't seem to be going anywhere but up, so you'll likely be seeing more of these spots in your area. We've put together a list of the top breakfast chains to look out for and visit yourself.

First Watch is one of the restaurants leading the charge for daytime dining. Since opening in Pacific Grove, California, in 1983, this cozy breakfast spot has expanded into a 466-unit chain available in 29 states. That's quite the feat in just a few decades.

Speaking about its growth with Nation's Restaurant News, the company's CEO, Chris Tomasso, noted that the early start has given the chain an advantage over the up-and-coming competition. "We kind of established this daytime-dining segment," Tomasso said. "We enjoyed it pretty much by ourselves and had tremendous growth. You've seen a lot of other players come into the space, but we've got such a great head start."

Along with that head start, aptly named First Watch prides itself on always serving fresh food and keeping its menu innovative. According to Tomasso, the kitchens don't have heat lamps or microwaves to keep food warm. Instead, cooks make everything to order for the freshest taste. The seasonal menu changes five times a year, so you'll always find something new to order. And in 2015, it introduced a freshly pressed juice bar that patrons have come to love.

Hash Kitchen is an Arizona-based restaurant that has infused its breakfast experience with an "Instagrammable" party vibe thanks to its extensive cocktail menu, DJ stand, and decor. Despite cornering that market and developing a strong following in Arizona, the breakfast chain was slow to expand, with five locations in 2021. Chef Joey Maggiore, his wife Cristina, and partner Flora Tersigni consider the brunch spot their baby, which has made them reluctant to take any franchising deals that require giving up their stake in the company (via FSR Magazine).

Fortunately, the Savory Fund, a restaurant growth investment fund, saw the potential in Hash Kitchen's niche and was eager to invest in the business. Since partnering with Hash Kitchen, it hopes to grow the brand in Arizona and spread it to other states. "We believe that Hash Kitchen was the cool kid on the block as far as a.m. eatery," Andrew Smith, managing partner of the Savory Fund, said. "But the a.m. eatery category too, we believe that there's just a lot of white space. I look at even Utah and Nevada and Arizona [...] Then you look in states, even like in Texas, and there's just not enough to serve the amount of population that's in those communities." Partnering with Hash Kitchen, the Savory Fund hopes to fill some of the void in the breakfast market.

Turning Point is an award-winning breakfast restaurant with an emphasis on making the freshest food. It serves an extensive menu with all the lunch and breakfast favorites, like pancakes, burritos, and melts. It also offers a seasonal menu that changes four times a year, so there's always something new to enjoy. Although customers have given some mixed reviews on their experience, those who enjoy Turning Point really love it and often become repeat customers. 

The restaurant confirmed its first franchise agreement in 2022 with plans to move into the Pennsylvania market. It is currently in four states, with restaurants in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida. Turning Point franchisee Eric Brandow spoke to Cision PR Newswire about the exciting inroads the company is making in daytime dining. "Nowadays, it's rare to find a quality brand you can trust. Turning Point is a proven concept that is executed in an extraordinary way. This company is dedicated to opening new restaurants that prove to be profitable, manageable, and well-loved by the community; we just knew this concept would be a great addition to Upper Dublin."

Huckleberry's Breakfast and Lunch is a unique daytime chain open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The chain has branded itself as "Southern cookin' with a California twist!" which sums it up pretty well. Huckleberry's is the perfect place to gorge yourself on Southern favorites like chicken and waffles, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, a breakfast scramble complete with biscuits and gravy, and much more. On top of that, the restaurant decor has a rustic feel, reminiscent of dining in the bayou.

The first Huckleberry location opened in 2008 in California's Bay Area, but it has since expanded throughout the state and into the Southern USA. In 2022, the restaurant announced signing a multi-unit franchising deal in Fort Worth, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee. Franchisee Josh Calvert spoke to Global Franchise about bringing Huckleberry's to Texas. "I traveled to California and visited Huckleberry's Breakfast & Lunch [...] and knew right away I wanted to bring the excitement of this brand to Texas. The 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. operating hours, truly amazing food, and the southern hospitality just made me feel at home," Calvert said. Huckleberry's has stuck to its original vision of a restaurant filled with Southern cooking and charm at all of its new locations, setting itself apart from other places in the growing breakfast market.

With the breakfast boom, a lot of daytime eateries have been quick to embrace a growth mindset. Still, there is such a thing as doing too much too fast as Famous Toastery discovered. Since 2018, the chain has had to shut down 9 locations for various reasons including a franchise bankruptcy in 2019, bringing the total down to 26. However, the breakfast joint is ready to make its comeback and is hoping to double its franchise size by 2024.

According to CEO Robert Maynard, the company has learned from its mistakes and is more prepared than ever to face upcoming challenges. Opening up to FSR Magazine, Maynard shared, "We didn't do a great job when we first started opening locations of laying the law down. We were much more loose. We were a new brand. We were learning as we went at the time. I wanted to make everybody happy, and at the end of the day, the way you make everybody happy is that everyone is doing well." 

Going forward, the chain has a clearer vision and standard for its franchise locations and is excited to continue to grow from past setbacks. Despite previous mistakes, Maynard is confident in the company's future. "In franchising, stuff happens and it's how you handle them that makes the difference," he said.

The Toasted Yolk is another daytime dining hub that has limited its hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. That time frame is not only perfect for the breakfast and lunch crowd but it's also been a draw for franchisees looking for work-life balance. According to QSR Magazine, The Toasted Yolk has had a lot of franchising inquiries since opening its doors in 2012, in large part because of the favorable working schedule.

The restaurant is open 56 hours a week, so employees and owners can finish work and be home with their families in time for dinner. Bret Baumgartner, who owns two locations in the Beaumont, Texas, area said, "When I was with (a previous restaurant brand), I was working 70–80 hours a week. That can take a toll on you as far as family and personal time goes. Don't get me wrong, I still have to put in the hours, but now I'm home well before dark."

Along with keeping its employees happy, the breakfast restaurant seems to have cracked the code on appealing to its customer base. The CEO, Chris Milton said the menu is designed with its primarily suburban customer base in mind, including both decadent and healthier options to choose from. On top of that, its extensive bar menu draws in guests and increases the amount of money spent per customer, resulting in the company's large growth.

Long before all-day breakfast became the trend it is today, IHOP has been serving breakfast fans all the pancakes they can eat. It recently opened up a new style of restaurant to reach even more consumers. In 2019, the chain announced its plans to launch Flip'd by IHOP. Unlike the classic diner experience you get at traditional locations, Flip'd is a fast-casual concept all about pick-up orders. The service operates with the goal of getting customers their orders in 10 minutes or less. 

Flip'd offers many of the same menu items as IHOP but will also introduce new concepts, such as pancake bowls to enjoy a fresh breakfast on the go. Customers can order beforehand online, at in-store kiosks, or at the counter, and then take their meal to go or use the limited dine-in seating. The smaller locations are perfect for urban areas where a large IHOP diner is hard to accommodate, so city-dwellers should watch for them opening in their area.

After opening the first Flip'd location in Lawrence, Kansas, the second one in Manhattan's Flatiron neighborhood opened in 2022. This location seats 20 guests at a time, but the primary focus is on delivery and pick-up orders rather than on the dine-in experience. Unlike other breakfast locations, Flip'd by IHOP will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, allowing customers to satisfy breakfast cravings even at night.

Grumpy's Restaurant is a favorite in Jacksonville, Florida, where it's been voted the #1 Best Restaurant by Bold City from 2018 through 2022. Although many restaurants experienced setbacks in 2021, Grumpy's somehow managed to thrive throughout the pandemic, earning itself several more recognitions and awards. Despite its name, Grumpy's focuses on maintaining a friendly, diner-style environment that's perfect for families and keeps its customer base coming back.

Speaking to FSR Magazine about the company's continued success, Daniel DeLeon, President and CEO, had his team and staff to thank. "Our whole team works extremely hard to make Grumpy's a local favorite," DeLeon said. "We are grateful to have been recognized by so many and it couldn't have been possible without the Grumpy's Restaurant family and our loyal customers. We work hard every day to live up to our motto, 'No One Leaves Grumpy!'" Thanks to those efforts, the local favorite is expanding throughout Florida, with five current locations and more on the way.

As the name implies, Biscuitville is all about serving the best Southern biscuits and biscuit sandwiches to its customer base. The family-owned business has been open since 1975 and prides itself on making the freshest biscuits with locally-sourced ingredients. In fact, they are baked every 15 minutes to keep up with demand and make sure they're always the best quality. If that sounds too good to be true, you can watch the process yourself. Biscuitville locations have a "biscuit window" that allows customers to get a behind-the-scenes look at the process and watch the fresh biscuits being made.

Recently, the chain has begun to expand, and in 2022 it opened six new restaurants and a new 78,000-square-foot distribution center to fulfill the growing demand. President and CEO Kathie Niven made a statement on the company's plan for growth, saying, "This year we introduced Biscuitville to new communities, and we expanded in our existing markets. [...] The enthusiastic response of our guests and the tremendous support of our team members combined to make our current success possible. We are looking forward to a great 2023, and we are so very grateful for all the good things that we accomplished together in 2022."

Another Broken Egg Cafe is a charming breakfast, brunch, and lunch spot offering Southern-inspired dishes, breakfast favorites, cocktails, spiked cold brew, and a full bar. The restaurant opened in 1996 and has experienced mostly consistent growth since, including being one of the fastest-growing daytime franchises in 2022. Another Broken Egg Cafe ended the year with 80 locations across 15 states and many more on the way. In July 2021, a survey conducted by Franchise Business Review named the cafe one of the 30 Top Food Franchises to Own.

Along with its expansion, Another Broken Egg Cafe continues to innovate to create the best dining experience possible. Jeff Sturgis, Chief Development Officer, told Nation's Restaurant News, "We've made some significant changes over the last few years to ensure we are the leading full-service 'NextGen Casual' brunch concept. We've updated our restaurant design to better serve off-premise without detracting from the onsite dining experience." You'll be seeing this restaurant everywhere in the coming years.

Snooze is making strides in the breakfast market with the mission of doing good. The casual daytime eatery opened in 2006 with an emphasis on creating an excellent work environment, great food, and decreasing its carbon footprint. According to Nation's Restaurant Review, this new breakfast restaurant is working to offset its environmental impact through energy efficiency, reduced one-use packaging, trash diversion programs, and an annual tree planting program.

"We think of our business through the lens of the mantra, 'A stack of pancakes can actually change the world,'" said Andrew Jaffe, chief marketing officer with Snooze. "We want to have that type of mindset that we can do good in our communities, on our Snoozers, our guests, and have a positive impact on the planet." This philosophy seems to resonate with guests, particularly the Gen Z and young millennial market. As a result, the chain has experienced fast growth since its opening and now has over 60 units across multiple states, including Colorado, California, Texas, and Arizona.

Big Bad Breakfast (BBB) first opened its doors in 2008 with award-winning chef John Currence as the founder. BBB developed a loyal customer following, opening stores across Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee. But, like the entire restaurant industry, it experienced setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, CEO Travis Grappo told FSR Magazine that BBB is bouncing back to pre-pandemic numbers, partially due to its expansion of delivery and third-party takeout services.

Since recovering from Covid, the brand is ready to expand further, but Grappo is focused on ensuring the growth is sustainable. "We're very bullish on the national market," Grappo said. "We have a great following there [Nashville] and we are looking at other markets in the Southeast. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's very, very important to earn the right to grow. [...] We just have to make sure that our execution is 100 percent before we start growing all over the United States." Grappo went on to praise the competition, demonstrating the company's collaborative ways.

Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group operates Ruby Sunshine and Ruby Slipper Cafe. The New Orleans restaurant first launched in 2008 because founders Jennifer and Erich Weishaupt wanted to create a place for the community to come together after experiencing the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The restaurant quickly gained a following, and since 2008 the company has opened several more locations in Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida. However, even as it expanded, Ruby Sunshine has stayed true to its New Orleans roots.

In April 2023, it announced a new restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Gainesville, Florida. Speaking about the new locations, Marla Chua, Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group's culinary operations partner, said she expects their New-Orleans inspired atmosphere to attract a young crowd. "In New Orleans [...] we like to have fun," she said. "Our menu and our atmosphere will bring a lot of college students and locals to our restaurants to have fun, indulge in our delicious menu items, and crave and come back for more," (via The Alligator).