5 quick tips to unlock daypart profit potential

Flip the script on breakfast

Margins aren’t just made at mealtime — they’re built throughout the day. Let’s explore practical strategies to turn dining moments into profit-driving opportunities with smart menu moves, trending flavors and upsell tactics that keep guests engaged and checks growing.

Consider these 5 ways to boost profit around the clock

1. Breakfast boosters

With growing interest in all-day breakfast, the first meal of the day is a profit hub — and potatoes are the perfect margin-builder. Social conversations about hash browns have surged by 20.61% year-over-year, and 8.61% of U.S. restaurants already feature hash brown dishes on their menus, according to Tastewise.¹

Consider easy upsells of already-popular breakfast potatoes like our Southern Breakfast Browns covered with delicious creamy pimento cheese and crispy crumbled bacon.

2. Lunch lifters

Consumers are always value oriented, but they’re especially so at lunchtime. In fact, 68% of consumers say they are more likely to order a bundled meal if it offers perceived value and convenience.² Play up value meals so diners feel free to splurge on other offerings such as upgraded sides and beverages. Lunch is also a good time to appeal to snackers with combinable offerings of different sizes and pricing tiers.

3. Hype up happy hour

There’s a tremendous profit opportunity in happy hour. Turns out, 62% of consumers say time-based deals (such as happy hours) increase the likelihood of visiting a restaurant.³ To draw in visitors, you can menu shareable appetizers and an assortment of on-trend small plates at enticing prices to convert drinks-only consumers into diners. To draw in new visitors, you can menu shareable appetizers and an assortment of on-trend small plates at enticing prices to convert drinks-only consumers into diners.

4. Drive up dinner

Boost dinner margins with creative upselling. Consider crafting a beer-pairing menu to encourage alcohol beverage purchases. In fact, Tastewise data reveals that 85% of all beer-related social posts explicitly refer to craft beers.⁴ Or, increase check averages by catering to the ever-popular customization trend — 62% of consumers prioritize curated appetizer platters and customized tasting experiences.⁵

Offer add-on sauces, toppings and sides or customizable menu items at different price points.

5. Get a leg up on late night

Like happy hour, late-night dining is an often-underappreciated profit opportunity. On weekends, late-night dining is common — 31% of respondents say they dine at 11 p.m. or later. Reduced-price food is the top promotion that can get guests to go to a bar or restaurant late night, at 47%, and a well-curated late-night menu can also do the trick, with 24% of diners citing it as a top influencer. Menu shareable appetizers and an assortment of on-trend small plates at enticing prices to convert drinks-only consumers into diners.⁶

Consumers are likely socializing with friends during this daypart, so be sure to offer a range of shareable sides. On-trend offerings include loaded fries, seafood nachos and global-inspired street foods. Make late night a special occasion with exclusive menu offerings and drink specials and be sure to call these deals out with in-house signage and social media engagement.

SOURCES
¹Tastewise; Hash Brown Trends.
²Technomic; 2024 Value & Pricing Report.
³National Restaurant Association; 2025 State of the Restaurant Industry Report.
⁴Tastewise; Craft Beer Trends.
⁵SevenRooms; 2025 U.S. Restaurant Trends & Diner Expectations Report.
⁶Toast; Late-Night Dining Trends.