Lines out the door, people sitting on curbs waiting to get in and reservations needed to get a table. It’s not Friday night at the trendy new eatery, it’s more than likely the breakfast service at your favorite local spot.
Breakfast is suddenly big business. Restaurant analysts say breakfast venues are seeing some of the largest growth in the market. Numerous restaurants dedicated to the most important meal of the day have opened in the region recently, and that’s on top of long-standing diners that, for years, were already drawing in a steady morning crowd.
Eggs Up is tucked away in a strip mall off 22nd Street in Norfolk. It’s one of several new breakfast restaurants that have opened in the city in the last five years.
The restaurant has a loyal following, built by a universal love of breakfast, Eggs Up owner Steve McCue said.
“Everybody comes to breakfast hungry at the same time,” he said. “Most people go to dinner, and not everyone is always hungry, but everyone is hungry for breakfast.”
McCue’s daughter Meghan works as a waitress, and has a different take on what makes businesses like theirs so popular.
“You get a sense of family going into a breakfast diner,” she said. “It’s like you get a sense of home; it's home-cooked food pretty much.”
At Eggs Up, Steve McCue takes note of his growing list of regulars. He thinks they’re drawn to his restaurant’s consistency. But regulars also mean more pressure for him.
“Those are also the guests that we have that make us the most nervous because they are the guests that notice when something isn't exactly the same,” he said.
“If it’s not the same or something’s off, they notice right away.”
Analysts hypothesize breakfast is getting more popular because people see it as a cheaper and more accessible way to dine out compared to lunch and dinner. Plus, it can also be healthier.
“Now everybody’s realizing you can’t go wrong with breakfast food,” Meghan McCue said. “It’s eggs, bacon, sausage, toast. Can’t really go wrong with any of it. It’s just a good staple.”
