The fast food breakfast battle has always been a race for second place. McDonald's (MCD) has such an established lead that's fairly impossible for rivals to catch up.
It's not that the Egg McMuffin, the McGriddle, and the rest of the McMenu are that great, but more a question of people looking for comfort and familiarity. Wendy's (WEN) and Yum Brands' (YUM) Taco Bell -- relatively recent players to the game -- arguably offer a better product, but that's not really what people want in the morning.
DON'T MISS: McDonald's Menu Adds New Take On a Fan-Favorite Item
If people wanted a top-quality breakfast, they would probably not go to a fast-food chain. When you visit McDonald's or any of its rivals in the morning, it's because you will get something familiar and tasty for a cheap price.
That's the model Restaurant Brands International's (QSR) Burger King has followed for decades. It started its breakfast line with the Croissan'wich, a take on the Egg McMuffin which uses a sort of croissant as the bun rather than an English muffin. It's a mild spin on an old favorite that has always been a good enough alternative, but never a real driver.
Wendy's has tried to storm the breakfast space by offering a better-quality product. That has helped it slowly build morning share despite it not entering the morning market until right before the covid pandemic.
Now, the chain has added a new take on an American comfort food classic to its morning lineup although it's a sandwich usually associated with lunch and it's only being offered in Canada.
Image source: Shutterstock
Wendy's Adds a Breakfast BLT In Canada
While the bacon lettuce, and tomato, or the BLT as it's more famously known has long been a sandwich classic, it's not an item that's usually served for breakfast despite the presence of bacon. Wendy's has bucked that trend and has added an Egg BLT to its morning menu, but only in Canada (where perhaps it's more common to have lettuce and tomato on a breakfast sandwich.
"The new Egg BLT features a freshly cracked Canadian egg topped with a slice of melty cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, and greenhouse-grown lettuce and tomato, all sandwiched between a fluffy croissant," Chew Boom reported.
Wendy's Egg BLT, which costs about $3.70 American, is available now at participating Wendy’s Canada locations for a limited time only. It comes in at 500 calories with 31 grams of fat.
Wendy's Breakfast Keeps Growing in the US
In its home market. Wendy's continues to build its breakfast brand. Sales have steadily improved as the chain has advertised its use of fresh-cracked eggs (a dig at McDonald's) and tried a variety of promotions to get people to sample its morning offerings.
CEO Todd Penegor shared some positive numbers during the chain's fourth-quarter earnings call.
"We continue to drive momentum in our U.S. breakfast business, which grew versus the third quarter, and peaked at over $3,000 per restaurant per week in Q4," he said. "This growth was driven by the continued success of our first major breakfast menu innovation, French toast sticks and our traffic-driving $3 croissant promotion."
Breakfast has also been driving sales in Canada, which has only recently added it across the country.
"And in Canada, our largest international market, we grew both dollar and traffic share in the fourth quarter and the last three years faster than all QSR burger competitors. This outstanding performance was driven by our compelling marketing calendar, our focus on accelerating digital, and our breakfast launch," Penegor added.
