The Inbound Side of the Street

I read an article recently on how the likes of Starbucks, Panera, etc., are changing the way people do breakfast, as well as how they get to work. Here's the big trend: people are eating breakfast on the run more than ever before, often stopping for a hot cup of coffee and a bagel or muffin on the way to work. Forget brewing your own coffee at home. There's no time for this!

This trend has some people concerned. They worry that we're taking detours on the way to work and actually adding to miles driven and traffic congestion by hitting these java outlets. Often there's a long line at the Starbucks drive-up during the morning drive time.

It's interesting that people find it more economical in the grand scheme of things to pay for coffee and a muffin. But with time in short supply, it really should come as no surprise. McDonald's ushered in the phenomenon of auto-breakfasts a generation or more ago with their Egg McMuffins served through the drive-up window. Now the notion has gone upscale and trendy.

Who is the primary demographic doing this? Middle-aged men. Hmmm...that would be me. Except that I really don't do this on my bicycle commute to WT during the school year (juggling a cup of hot coffee atop my handlebars would be dangerous!).

The article said that Starbucks carefully diagnoses locations so that they can be on the inbound traffic side of the road. Of course, these creates a time-of-day advantage...as well as disadvantage during the afternon. But when your big daypart is breakfast, this makes good sense.

Also to note: SBUX (shorthand for that evil coffee empire) is test marketing a breakfast sandwich on the west coast, with plans to go nationwide shortly. Soon the folks at Mickey D's will have a strong competitor in the breakfast sandwich category.

Make no beans about it, these companies are changing the way we eat, drink, and get our mornings started. Sales of cold cereal (as well as instant oats) are way down. Who has time for all that stuff at home anyway?

And another hot ticket: a new chain called Cereality is poised to rattle the industry with their cereal bars (no kidding--not as in "energy bars," but rather a diner that sells only cereal).

Of course, this all is a reflection of a new fact of 21C life: there really are no set meal times at home anymore. We just grab and go, snack whenever, and if we're lucky, we get to kiss the spouse and kids goodnight at the end of the day.

As for me, I'll have hazelnut coffee on my breath.

Dr "Poverty of Time" Gerlich