NEW YORK?Rise and shine, breakfast time. Let?s see. There?s bagged eggs, powdered non-dairy creamer, spotted bananas, a plastic drum filled with flakes and some kind of sticky, sugary thing over there next to the coffee pot. Hmmm. But it?s free, right? If these are the elements showing up together at your limited-service breakfast bar, it may be time to start asking just how complementary your complimentary breakfast is to your property. Free continental breakfast has burst across the limited-service segment like so much just-squeezed orange juice? a fresh concept with a few pits that is shaped by the container that holds it. And therein lies the rub. As brands in the segment jockey for market share, free breakfast offerings are being shaped as key differentiators and the word ?continental? is beginning to take on relative proportions in some quarters. Back in the day, continental breakfast consisted of coffee/tea, a bread choice with butter/jam and orange juice. Today, adding a sweet roll, yogurt and pastries to that concept tends to reposition it as ?upscale? or ?deluxe?; add some cereal, muffins, another juice and fruit and now its? a ?breakfast buffet.? And if some Krispy Kremes, cheese grits and a rasher of bacon are served alongside, it?s usually called inconsistency? and that?s not something most flags that offer free breakfast want to be dishing out. ?We want consistency whether our guests are in New Mexico or Boise. We want to make sure they have the same quality opportunities at the breakfast bar across our franchise system,? said LaDetra White, director of marketing for Holiday Inn Express. The free breakfast was part of the Express concept from the start and in itself has remained pretty consistent over the last decade. White noted the breakfast is mandated and there are ?rigid requirements? around it. ?Failure to adhere to the standards of the breakfast bar are grounds for dismissal from the franchise? it?s such an important part of our product hallmark,? she said. Coming in as standard fare is nationally branded cereal, bread, danish, coffee/tea (caffeinated/decaf), fresh fruit and whole/skim milk. White said franchisees may layer in other items, but the added features ?cannot be arbitrary. It comes through our quality department first so you shouldn?t see a wide variation. The reason we monitor the breakfast and its features is we don?t want complaints from consumers.? There can be some market influences, like a regional coffee, but beyond the ability to warm some food products, don?t look for hot, fried or cooking items at the Express breakfast. Also, a cost per occupied room for the breakfast can range from cents to a couple of dollars since some franchisees go above and beyond the minimum standards. ?Business travelers sometimes eat and then take something for the road as well,? added White, which skews the ratio. Most brands free breakfasts are offered for three-hour periods somewhere between 6 and 10 a.m., with the time frame at the discretion of the GM and the need to meet market demands. A breakfast bar attendant also is being seen more frequently, charged with maintaining the space, refreshing items and generally assisting guests if need be. At Choice Hotels? Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites, the emphasis is on deluxe continental breakfast. This includes assorted pastries, two non-sweet bread items, two cold and cereals, one hot cereal (two at Suites), fresh fruit, assorted low-fat yogurt, orange and a second juice, and customary milk, tea and coffee selections. Hot chocolate is offered at Suites. ?Ten years ago you could get away with continental breakfast. Today, you have to do more,? said Dan Shoen, vp-brand manager for Comfort Inns & Suites. ?We do research twice a year with our customers. We ask what they like to eat, look at what?s new and different, and evaluate it to see if it?s cost effective for us to provide as part of the breakfast.? The brand currently is considering asking franchisees to p
