Columbus breakfast sales rise and shine
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Columbus eaters can't seem to get enough eggs and hash browns these days.
State of play: More Columbus residents are grabbing fast-food breakfasts compared to last year, while lunch and dinner spending is down, according to a new report by Toast.
Why it matters: The shift in eating habits could reflect changing demands and work schedules, and local businesses may need to adapt.
- Fine dining restaurants, fast-food outlets and supermarkets have all been doubling down on breakfast and brunch this year, Axios' Jennifer A. Kingson reported earlier this year.
By the numbers: Breakfast spending at Columbus quick-service spots grew by 7% between April 2023 and June 2024, while lunch spending dropped by a modest 1%.
- Dinner spending dropped by 9%, the largest decrease of the 20 large U.S. cities Toast analyzed.
- Late-night spending dropped by 8%.
The big picture: We're hardly alone. Fast breakfast spending rose in a majority of cities tracked, including Richmond, Virginia, (15%), Indianapolis (8%) and Chicago (6%).
Caveat: Toast can't capture all transactions across all restaurants in a given city — it only knows about those made using its platform and tech.
- Case in point: Last year, Square reported a surge in late-night spending in Columbus each year after 2020, which suggests we aren't solely a city full of breakfast-loving early birds.
Yes, but: If you are one, we recommend checking out the Food Truck Food Court on Wednesday mornings at the Columbus Commons.
The bottom line: To quote the wise philosopher Ron Swanson, "There has never been a sadness that can't be cured by breakfast food."
Go deeper: The best diners Columbus has to offer