Breakfast Fast Food Comeback 2025: Catering, Customization, and New Flavors Drive Growth

After a pandemic-fueled slump, breakfast fast food is staging a strong comeback in 2025. With office commutes rebounding and consumer habits shifting, fast-food chains are cashing in on the morning crowd by focusing on catering, bold flavors, and customizable options.

Morning Routines Reignite Breakfast Demand

Breakfast was one of the biggest casualties of the COVID-19 era. With fewer commutes, fast-food breakfasts saw a sharp decline. But today, the tide is turning. A report from Circana revealed that 39% of consumers now eat breakfast before 8 a.m., a 5-point increase since 2020. In fact, breakfast was the fastest-growing daypart in March, up 3% across the restaurant industry.

Biscuit Belly Leads With Catering Innovation

For Biscuit Belly, a Southern-style breakfast brand founded in 2019, the post-pandemic landscape forced quick adaptation. Originally dine-in focused, the brand pivoted to catering—especially for hospitals—during lockdowns. Today, that channel has become a powerful growth engine.

“People are going back to the office,” said founder Chad Coulter. “Catering keeps growing. It boosts brand awareness and brings new guests to our restaurants.”

With standout offerings like biscuit sandwich bundles, frittatas, and French toast bakes, Biscuit Belly has carved out a niche beyond the typical bagels-and-cream-cheese routine.

Taco Cabana: All-Day Breakfast and Bulk Orders

At Taco Cabana, breakfast isn’t confined to the morning. The Tex-Mex chain offers all-day breakfast, with sales driven by large-format options like its dozen taco boxes—over 1 million were sold last year.

“We’ve seen huge weekend business from families and groups,” said Ulyses Camacho, President and COO. The brand also launched smaller 6-taco boxes for smaller gatherings, offering value and flexibility.

Taco Cabana is also spicing things up. Bold options like the Monster Verde Burrito—packed with chorizo, hashbrowns, and chipotle ranch—reflect growing demand for flavor-forward breakfasts. The chain recently introduced a chipotle ranch topping tailored for breakfast.

Original ChopShop Goes Custom

Original ChopShop, a health-focused fast casual, revamped its breakfast by removing low performers and keeping bestsellers all day. A standout innovation? Its build-your-own breakfast bowl.

Customers choose from scrambled eggs or egg whites, add vegetables, proteins, and spreads like jalapeño goat cheese, offering both value and variety.

“Our guests were customizing everything anyway,” said COO Kyle Frederick. “Now they can build their own from the start—and they’re doing it all day.”

The Bottom Line: Breakfast Is Big Business Again

The breakfast fast food comeback in 2025 isn’t just about recovering traffic—it’s about rethinking strategy. Whether it’s bold flavor upgrades, catering to groups, or customizable bowls, brands are proving that breakfast is more than back—it’s booming.