How to Host a Successful Breakfast Event

We’ve touched on all the ways private events can help boost your business — but why limit your space to just evening events? Hosting private breakfast events is a particularly great way to increase revenue if your venue or restaurant is mainly open for dinner service. Experts say the tips for ensuring its success are simple, like: don’t forget the coffee and consider an energetic emcee.

For more advice, we turned to our clients the Magnolia Pancake Haus in San Antonio, Texas, — check out what Tricia Fleming, their Director of Brand Management and Special Projects, had to say below.

Tell me about Magnolia Pancake Haus’ events program.

We started it about two years ago. We always had a small room for large parties, but never really expanded past that. Once we created our Bier Garden that was able to accommodate a large group of about 100, we really started to focus on hosting events outside of just the restaurant. We also decided to get a food trailer to take to events so we can make food on-site, since one of the two most important things to us is quality. Now that we just opened our event center, we really have taken that next step to be able to expand our brand from solely restaurant dining to catering.

What are your top tips for pulling off a successful breakfast event?

Have a bit of something for everyone. We serve anything from “Haus”-made banana bread and fruit to pulling out a griddle to make pancakes to order. People appreciate the ability to choose at breakfast since a lot of people don’t tend to eat a full meal. If you are known for something, make sure that is an option on your menus. Always have coffee — and a lot of it! If you can, try to focus on the food you are serving. Most people don’t really expect great food when going to a catered function, but if you make sure to serve them something delicious you’ll be sure to grab their attention.

What should be avoided during breakfast events?

I would recommend to try and not get too specific with the type of food you are serving. Even though a buffet sometimes isn’t what people want to present for dinner, it’s a great option for breakfast as it gives people the opportunity to get what they like, however much or little. Also, try not to prepare things too far in advance. Things like eggs are best when they’re fresh, so try to cook them right before they’re about to go out. And never put pancakes on a buffet! We like to make them fresh using an electric griddle, and people also like watching their food come to fruition.

Any other advice you’d like to add?

It helps to be a morning person! But make sure you and your staff are awake, prepared, and ready to serve!

Get the right tools to manage your events

Now that you’re equipped to pull off successful breakfast events, why not request a live tour of the Tripleseat platform to see if our event management software is right for you? Our features help drive more sales, impress customers, and grow your events business in a way that’s manageable and profitable. On top of all that, our dedicated support team is just a call or email away to help with any questions you may have.