FSR May 2023

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The Brunch Boom

BY SAM DANLEY Non-breakfast brands are embracing the revenue-generating daypart.

THE LOBSTER AND EGGS BENEDICT IS A POPULAR BRUNCH CHOICE AT THE ONE GROUP’S STK RESTAURANTS.

THE ONE GROUP

NOT QUITE BREAKFAST. Not quite lunch. The late-morning and mid-after noon brunch daypart is more than a meal. It’s a social experience, and one that consumers are hungry for coming out of the pandemic. Opportunities exist for non-break fast brands to carve out their share of the brunch segment. When executed correctly, the daypart can be a solid rev enue generator for restaurants that have traditionally focused on dinner service. That’s been the case for The ONE

Group, parent company of Kona Grill and STK, where brunch has become a core business for both concepts. Eman uel “Manny” Hilario, president and CEO of The ONE Group, says the idea came from the hotels where the company pro vides food and beverage services. “We saw the strong demand and suc cess of the brunch daypart at the hotel properties in which we operate, and we identified that there was a customer need and a supply shortfall that we could fill nationally with the addition of a qual

ity brunch offering with a highly differ entiated vibe,” he says. The ONE Group started testing brunch at both restaurants in 2020, developing programs that fit within each brand’s identity. Kona Grill is known for its sushi and seafood, while STK’s approach to fine dining blends a chic lounge atmosphere with a modern steakhouse experience. The key to winning at brunch for both brands involved crafting a menu that’s fun for guests to interact with, featuring items that Hilario says are both “crave

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