Brunch is back: Restaurants embrace early dining with elevated takes on menus

When Shenanigans Sports Bar & Grill opened at 8 a.m. the past two weekends to welcome fans watching early Minnesota Vikings football games, the brunch menu already was set.

“We’re already prepped for that,” owner Paul Ode said.

“SDSU Saturday games, we just did that, so we knew it played well into our whole thing for the season. Before, we’d open and kind of have food, kind of not, and now we have the whole menu until noon. They can come do the whole game and all that fun.”

All-you-can-eat brunch buffets and extended brunch hours on weekends were some of the first offerings to go as restaurants scaled back during the pandemic — a change that lasted for several years after it began in 2020.

Now, globally, the share of breakfast sourced away from home “is moderate and trending upward,” according to a 2024 report from food industry researcher Technomic.

“With breakfast patronage back to pre-pandemic levels, competition for morning occasions is heating up. Value and convenience will be paramount for restaurant chains in the near term as they face competitors that include not just full service and quick service, but also street foods and convenience stores,” said Aaron Jourden, director of international research and insights at Technomic.

For Shenanigans, it came down to the simple fact that “all of us involved really like breakfast and that type of thing on the weekend,” Ode said. “I was the big push because I put on the menu stuff I really enjoy to eat, and it’s something me and my kids can do on the weekends. Through all the hecticness, we can make it downtown or west side and do breakfast.”

The restaurants began offering the Eggsmack breakfast menu earlier this year, featuring a variety of breakfast sandwiches, burritos, avocado toast, a skillet and the Sunrise Burger made with a fried egg, bacon, cheese and mayo.

Beverages include bloody marys and mimosas.

“After thinking it through, we’ve started to see more places doing earlier (menus),” Ode said. “Economically, it kind of makes sense if your kitchen staff is almost there anyway. I’m seeing more and more other places in town doing it, and they’re staying open, so I think it works for them.”

When the new full-service restaurants opened at The Steel District late last year, brunch always was part of the plan, said Josh Thoma, whose Twin Cities restaurant group partnered with Lloyd Cos. to bring Big Sioux Burger, Dahlia Kitchen + Bar and Ironwood Steakhouse to the downtown development.

“We’ve offered breakfast at Big Sioux Burger since day one — it’s available every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., which is a nice option for our guests and not something you can find everywhere,” Thoma said.

“We added brunch at Dahlia and Ironwood this spring; that was always part of our plan after opening in October.”

The goal was to provide a different brunch experience at each property.

“So Dahlia has a rotating set of DJs setting the vibe. Combined with a breakfast with some Latin flair and $10 pitchers of margaritas or sangria or $15 bottomless mimosas, Dahlia is your fun weekend hangout,” Thoma said.

“At Ironwood, we have a more refined traditional brunch. If you’re going out with your family after church or celebrating a special occasion, Ironwood offers an elevated breakfast experience in the area, with fantastic views too. And at Big Sioux Burger, this is your casual neighborhood spot for a delicious meal any time of day.”

Ironwood general manager Brandon McCormack, who also owns Sioux Falls Food Tours, said he’s a fan of the early dining option.

“It’s been amazing to see the uptick of people getting out for brunch all over downtown,” he said. “There’s so much energy.”

Farther south on Phillips Avenue, Fernson Brewing Co. and its food concept, Totally Rad Eats, introduced a brunch menu last weekend, expanding the hours and previous offerings for breakfast.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Fernson Downtown offers everything from a traditional breakfast plate and French toast to a brunch burger with bacon, a runny egg and sausage gravy.

“We noticed that our breakfast crowd on the weekend was coming in later and wanting it after we stopped it,” said Beau Vondra, director of food and beverage operations, noting that breakfast service ended at 11 a.m. “We thought we should offer it so it wasn’t so time-constricted. Saturday and Sunday are inherently a leisure day for people. They want to take time with their meals … and breakfast food, no matter what time you wake up, is delicious.”

Fernson Brewing also started distilling liquor and now serves cocktails featuring those spirits at the taproom. Longtime downtown bartender Paul Squyer has joined the team and is crafting drinks for brunch, including classics like mimosas, bloody marys and screwdrivers, along with signature cocktails. One of those, Living Daylight, features Fernson Distilling’s Clearwing Vodka, Fernson Brewing’s Daylight Delight Mimosa Seltzer and pomegranate.

Breakfast offerings at Fernson began in February 2024 with the addition of Fernson Coffee + Tea, which turned the taproom into a coffee shop in the morning. Totally Rad Eats took over the taproom’s kitchen from Wagoo Burger in June and since then has been serving breakfast sandwiches and burritos, along with a few other items like avocado toast and oatmeal.

The spread of brunch isn’t just downtown, either.

The Barrel House owner Mark Fonder saw a gap in brunch options on the east side of the city and added a Sunday brunch buffet earlier this year.

“It started off really good … summertime is a little slower … and now it’s picking back up once the kids get into school and into a routine,” he said. “There’s not much for breakfast over here, and it seemed like our late-night crowd kind of slowed down, so we close at midnight some nights during the week, and we figure just add on Sunday brunch to help make up for it.”

Customers find an expansive selection of breakfast and lunch items, as well as desserts, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays. There’s a station to order custom omelets, and waffles can be made to order with different toppings. Lunch options include sliders and a taco bar. Plus, there’s a build-your-own bloody mary and mimosa bar.

“There’s some different stuff we change up,” Fonder said. “We’re excited. It’s been received very well.”

Figuring out what inventory to have on hand for a buffet is challenging at first, but “it’s gotten a lot easier … once you know what you’re going through,” he said. “My deal is, if I’m going to try something, we’re going to stick through it and do it all summer and see what happens now with football starting.”

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