How to Turn Blurring Dayparts Into an Opportunity

When we think of a “meal,” we often think of one of the three main meals of the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But why those three meals? In fact, until the 1800s, most English people only ate two meals, with the largest meal taking place in the morning. For farming families in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the mid-day meal was the largest, with lighter meals in the morning and evening. Later, as people began working in factories and children went off to school, they had to wait until the end of the day for the largest meal—dinner.¹

So the three main meals we think of today have never been set in stone. Instead, they are shaped by our work, culture, and lives. Even today there are differences in meals from one country to the next. Spain still has a little mid-afternoon snack (the merienda), followed by a late dinner often after 9:00 PM.

Now, as our lives and culture are shifting again, so are the dayparts we observe.

The dayparts are blurring

Dayparts have been blurring for a long time. Taco Bell launched its “Fourth Meal” in 2005, while McDonald’s launched all-day breakfast a decade later. Around that time, restaurants were responding to Millennials who wanted to eat on their own terms: breakfast whenever they wanted, snacks all day, pre-dinner happy hours, late-night meals, etc.^2,3

But now life has changed again. Post-pandemic, more consumers are working from home or working hybrid schedules, meaning they only go into the office a few days each week. For many consumers, the 9-5 in-office workday no longer applies every day of the week, which impacts how and when they eat. Consumers going into the office may eat in the car on the way to the office, while those working from home may head immediately to a nearby restaurant to take advantage of happy hour or off-hour specials. There’s more flexibility overall, which is shifting eating habits and schedules.

What it means for restaurants

Restaurant operators have noticed these changing habits. In fact, 42% of operators agree that dayparts are blurring.⁴ Two years ago Nation’s Restaurant News named “All Day Dining” one of the top operator trends, saying that, “Traditional meal periods are blurring thanks to the combination of access to menu options all hours of the day and very flexible schedules.”⁵

That has had the effect of flattening traffic across the day, lessening the distinct peaks and troughs that used to occur. Instead of a massive lunch rush, an operator may see customers trickling in steadily over the course of the entire day.

Without those distinct dayparts, operators are looking for options that can work across multiple meals, or even the entire day. In fact, 42% of operators say they are looking for more versatile products specifically as a response to blurring dayparts, while 1 in 5 operators says they are offering all-day breakfast because of the changes.⁴

How do you put that into practice? Consider these ideas, products, and tactics that can help you successfully manage these blurring dayparts:

1. Cross-utilize products across every daypart

Look for products that you can use across every daypart, giving you more bang for your buck and offerings that are equally at home in just about any type of menu item. Consider Simplot products like:

• Simplot’s wide range of Harvest Fresh® Avocado products gives customers the rich, creamy taste of avocado in any daypart, whether that’s avocado toast, a health-driven wrap, or a snackable guacamole.

• Simplot RoastWorks® Baby Bakers™ Roasted Potatoes have a fresh-roasted flavor that perks up any menu item, morning to night.

• Simplot Maple City® Waffle Flavored Potatoes aren’t just for breakfast—as customers look for those sweet-and-savory flavors all day long, they add oomph to a wide range of lunch and dinner options, too.

2. Prioritize menu items that can work for lunch and dinner

Lunch and dinner options can and should do double duty. Bowls, in particular, are equally at home at each daypart, providing a filling option that consumers crave any time of day. These recipes have entrée power no matter when you serve them:

• A Southern Fiesta Rice Bowl offers up bold flavors like blackened salmon and RoastWorks® Flame-Roasted Corn & Jalapeño Blend.

• Vibrant Poke Bowls are now menu mainstays, giving customers a bright blend of ingredients like tuna, beets, Harvest Fresh® Avocados, and Simple Goodness™ Shelled Edamame.

• Jam-packed with flavor and texture, an on-trend Buddha Power Bowl features a health-driven base of Good Grains™ Whole Grain Orzo, Garbanzo, & Kale Blend, making it easy to execute.

3. Portion entrées and other offerings as snacks

With consumer snacking occasions increasing across every daypart, consider how you can position recipes that might be on the main menu or offered as entrées as a snackable option.⁴

• A Brussels Sprouts, Corn, Jalapeño, and Bacon side dish can easily become a satisfying and flavor-packed snack-sized portion.

• While hearty Edamame Avocado Spread can be used on a sandwich or wrap, it can also easily become a snack dip served with chips or veggies.

• Looking for a late-night snack option? Consider Papas Locas (or “Crazy Fries”) Corn Loaded Fries which have a fun, bold flavor.

• Steak & Potato Skewers with Avocado Chimichurri have rich grilled flavor and can be a fun “snack on a stick” when served in smaller portions.

While daypart blurring may change what you serve and when you serve it, with a few small tweaks to the menu you can entice customers throughout the day, whenever they’re ready for a snack or meal.

¹ Why Do Americans Eat Three Meals a Day?
² The New Approach to Dayparts
³ McDonald’s to Serve All-Day Breakfast
⁴ Technomic, Daypart Dynamics, January 2025 FSPP
⁵ What’s Hot Culinary Forecast 2023