Restaurants look to chicken at breakfast as traffic declines

It’s a challenging time for breakfast. As consumers, dogged by inflation in pretty much every aspect of their lives, try to manage their expenses, many seem to be skipping breakfast or eating it at home: Breakfast visits to quick-service chains were down by nearly 9% in the second quarter of 2025, according to Revenue Management Solutions, and Q3 isn’t looking good, either.

But when people do go out to eat in the mornings, their protein of choice is increasingly chicken.

The number of chicken items on breakfast menus grew by 7.6% in the second quarter, according to Technomic Ignite data. Sides of chicken sausage were up 10.6%, while chicken in breakfast sandwiches was up 9.9%.

“At Huckleberry’s, our chicken is more than something you order — it’s something you remember,” David Glennon, chief operating officer at Heritage Restaurant Brands, which owns the 35-unit concept, said in an email. That includes the mainstay Gold Medal Chicken & Waffles — double breaded and fried chicken tenders on a Belgian waffle — as well as its Stacked Chicken & Waffles, which is two tenders between waffles with Sriracha aïoli, ranch dressing, maple syrup, bacon, scallions, and maple pecan butter. The two options combined are the best seller at the chain, which has locations in California, Nevada, and Texas. Its current limited-time chicken offer is performing well, too, Glennon said, describing it as “a guest favorite.” That’s The Big Easy: fried chicken breast on a biscuit with scrambled eggs and a Creole cream sauce with mustard, garlic, and chile.

The Big Easy, a limited-time offer at Huckleberry’s, is fried chicken breast on a biscuit with scrambled eggs and a Creole cream sauce. | Huckleberry’s Chicken enjoys similar popularity at Sunny Street Café, a 22-unit breakfast-and-brunch chain based in Columbus, Ohio.

“Over time, fried chicken has become not only a star, but also a staple at breakfast and lunch,” president Mike Stasko said in an email.

Sunny Street’s chicken and waffles, like Huckleberry’s stacked waffles, started as an LTO. But the dish earned a permanent place on the menu three years ago. It’s particularly popular during brunch and on weekends, according to Stasko. “Our culinary team spent a lot of time in the test kitchen getting it just right so it delivers that ‘wow’ factor every time,” he said.

The success of chicken on the menu has prompted more LTOs at Sunny Street, including the Low Country Benedict, which was fried chicken, pimento cheese, and poached eggs on a biscuit topped with gravy, and a line extension of its chicken and waffles, this one dressed with hot honey.

Another Broken Egg Café, a breakfast-and-lunch chain of around 110 restaurants, based in Orlando, Fla., also offers chicken and waffles made of tenders, which vice president of culinary Joel Reynders said makes them even more approachable than bone-in chicken.

“You can love on your chicken tenders and still get your breakfast experience,” he said.

The chain’s chicken biscuit outsells burgers, even at brunch, he added, noting that the burger’s really on the menu to satisfy the “veto vote” of those few guests who feel a need for a burger at brunch. Most guests come for the chicken biscuits.

Another Broken Egg’s Deep South Biscuit Sandwich, has chicken tenders, pimento cheese, an over-medium egg, and bacon jam. | Another Broken Egg The chain offered a Deep South Biscuit Sandwich this past spring, made with fried tenders, pimento cheese, an over-medium egg, and bacon jam. It was the second time that item was offered, and Reynders said that if it performs well when it’s brought back later this year or next year, it will likely be given a permanent spot on the menu.

This past spring, Burgerville, a quick-service chain based in Beaverton, Ore., with 39 locations, offered a country-fried chicken biscuit with local aged white cheddar cheese and sausage gravy as an item available from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“The limited-time offering aligned nicely with spring brunch season, when people are looking for heartier, delicious mid-morning options,” executive chef Becky McGrath said in an email.

Huddle House, a family-dining chain based in Atlanta with around 270 locations, has upgraded its chicken over the past year, according to vice president of marketing Stephanie Mattingly.

She said in an email that the better-quality chicken strips and breasts are “winning over our guests.”

“At breakfast, chicken has become a staple. Our guests lean towards the sweet-and-savory combinations, whether chicken is piled on a waffle with syrup or tucked inside a warm biscuit with honey butter,” she said. “Our current promotion, the returning Hashbrown Casserole topped with Southern fried chicken, is proof of that success, making up over 30% of our limited-time mix.”

She added that about 20% of all chicken sales now take place at breakfast, and can reach as high as 30% with LTOs like the Hashbrown Casserole.

“That’s a clear signal our guests love having chicken as an option alongside traditional breakfast proteins,” she said, adding that it seems to appeal to many different demographics. “More and more, we’re seeing chicken as a unifier as it is a protein that resonates with guests across age and geography.”

Mark Augarten, CEO of 11-unit Urban Egg, a Daytime Eatery, reports a similar pattern.

"The role of chicken on Urban Egg's breakfast menu is ever-increasing,” he said in an email. “Staple items include the Chicken & The Egg, Chicken & Waffle Benedict, and the Avocado & Cheddar Chicken Melt. Urban Egg uses chicken in multiple preparations, from grilling to lightly frying in house-made tempura batter, to marinating in our house seasoning.”

He said the Chicken & Waffle Benedict is the top-selling of its five Benedict options, and the Chicken & The Egg — hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, tempura fried chicken, sage sausage gravy, and scallions — is a top-five seller of the whole menu.

Urban Egg’s Chicken & Waffle Benedict is a top-selling breakfast item. | Urban Egg The chain’s culinary director, James Junge, said chicken breast is particularly popular.

"Chicken breast is so versatile; it's a great source of high protein and is low in fat compared to other breakfast proteins, making it a healthy way to start the day,” he said. “Urban Egg also partners with local growers, such as Redbird Farms in Colorado, widely known for their high quality and consistency. We find that resonates with our guests."

Urban Egg mostly operates in Colorado, with one location in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kan., and another in Fort Worth, Texas.

As breakfast continues to be a troubled daypart, offering chicken as an option seems to entice people back in restaurants. The nation’s chicken heavyweight, Chick-fil-A, relies on it for breakfast, according to Allison Duncan, the chain’s director of menu and packaging.

“Breakfast continues to be an important daypart for QSR, with customers looking for more protein-forward options to start their day,” she said in an email. “At Chick-fil-A, we’re proud to give our customers a variety of delicious ways to meet this need, from a classic chicken biscuit to the lighter Egg White Grill, or our Chicken Hash Brown Scramble Burrito/Bowl served with Jalapeño Salsa.”


Originally published in NRN