Why Breakfast Potatoes Are Fueling the Resurgence of Morning Traffic

Breakfast traffic was hit hard by the pandemic. But research from NPD Group/CREST® shows the breakfast daypart is experiencing a solid recovery with exceptionally high demand for breakfast potatoes.

According to the report:

• Morning meal traffic is up 9% over a year ago¹
• Breakfast accounted for 22% of all restaurant visits in the first quarter of 2023¹
• Servings of potatoes at breakfast have increased sharply, up 15.6% over last year¹
• Better yet, 38% of operators report breakfast potatoes provide a higher margin than other items on their menu²

The upshot? The importance of breakfast to overall revenue is growing—and serving breakfast potatoes that your customers love is critical. Delicious potatoes can also serve as a powerful differentiator.

Making breakfast potatoes from scratch, however, takes significant time and workforce. With labor approaching $20/hour in many markets, does it make sense to do all the washing, slicing, cooking, and seasoning yourself?

If your goal is to please your customers and keep your labor costs in check, Simplot offers a broad portfolio of breakfast potato options to help you. Two of the most popular are Simplot® Maple City™ Waffle Bites and Simplot® RoastWorks® Roasted Redskin Potato & Vegetable Blend.

Introducing Simplot® Maple City™ Waffle Flavored Waffle Bites

Simplot® Maple City™ Waffle Bites make it easy to menu distinctly different potatoes that match the trend for intriguing flavors. These crinkle-cut, skin-off potato triangles are made with real maple syrup for a gently sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with savory breakfast items. Best of all, they hold their crispness—something that’s difficult to achieve with scratch-made.

Simplot® Maple City™ Waffle Bites are a great alternative to traditional shredded hash browns and the perfect, low-cost filling for breakfast burritos and breakfast bowls (which have grown 64.4% on breakfast menus over the last four years).³

While Waffle Bites are a great breakfast potato choice, their versatility and customer appeal extend well beyond the morning hour. From bowls to burritos, on their own or as part of recipes, you’ll find yourself menuing Waffle Bites around the clock.

Consider these recipes:

Maple Waffle Batter Bites Breakfast Hash
If you are looking for a delicious (and quick) breakfast special, you found it! Featuring Maple City™ Waffle Flavored Waffle Bites, crispy bacon, eggs and cheese, this hearty dish is a real crowd-pleaser.
View Recipe »

Maple Waffle Batter Bites Breakfast Plate
Get your customers' day started right with a flavorful breakfast plate featuring Maple City™ Waffle Flavored Waffle Bites, crispy bacon, and eggs.
View Recipe »

RoastWorks® roasted potatoes hit the spot with roasted appeal

RoastWorks® is the most popular line of frozen, roasted vegetables in foodservice for good reason. Customers love the rich flavor and color that roasting adds to potatoes—and operators love the premium quality, consistency and heat-and-serve prep.

Our Roasted Redskin Potatoes & Vegetable Blend is a great example. This colorful blend of flame-roasted red, yellow and green bell peppers and onions presents beautifully and tastes even better.

Features & Benefits

• Lightly seasoned for delicious, savory flavor in minutes
• Speed-scratch simplicity with outstanding versatility
• 100% yield for better profitability and less food waste
• Consistent roasted flavor and appearance case after case

They’re also extremely versatile in recipes for other dayparts like Nuevo Scalloped Potatoes, Jammin’ Jerked Chicken Potatoes, Roasted Vegetable Cassoulet, and Mesquite Steak Potato Tacos.

Here are more recipes to explore:

Redskin Potato and Onion Frittata
Our redskin potatoes pair nicely with roasted vegetables, eggs, and cheese in this breakfast/brunch application. Pair it with a salad or soup for a light lunch option that people love.
View Recipe »

Sonoran Potato and Sausage Hash
How do you “re-hash” a menu classic, Mexican style? Just toss our roasted Russets on the grill with chunks of sausage, chipotle chiles, peppers and onions. Top it all with a perfectly poached egg.
View Recipe »

How about loaded fries for breakfast?

For a tasty alternative, consider using waffle fries as a base for a loaded-fry breakfast entrée. After all, 75% of consumers love or like waffle fries.³

And you won't find a better waffle fry for breakfast than Simplot® Maple City® Waffle Flavored Waffle Fries, the first waffle fries that taste like actual waffles. Like our Waffle Bites, these waffle-flavored waffle fries are made with real maple syrup for satisfying flavor.

Take our Simplot® Maple City® Waffle Flavored Waffle Fries to the center of the plate with this recipe:

Maple City™ Waffle Loaded Breakfast Fries
Top Maple City™ Waffle Flavored Waffle Fries with diced fried chicken, crumbled bacon, melted cheese and perfectly poached eggs. Serve with a spicy maple-sriracha sauce.
View Recipe »

You can’t beat the flavor—or the savings

Potatoes are a traditional component of breakfast meals around the world, and many people expect to see some form of potato dish on a breakfast menu. This makes breakfast potatoes a must-have item. With labor-saving products like Simplot frozen potatoes, you can give patrons the satisfying flavor they want, more consistently and with less labor. What a great way to start the day.

¹ NPD Group/CREST, Q1 2023
² Datassential, Breakfast Keynote, 2023
³ Datassential, 2023