Hi guys,
I'm trying to think of some ideas of what to give for a free breakfast, so if anyone has any good ideas I'd appreciate it. I'm thinking something cheap but will leave people satisfied.
I've stayed at lots of hostels and I've had free breakfasts from one piece of bread to scrambled eggs on toast with selection of fresh fruits.
I know you could say it's free and it shouldn't matter but I think that people expect a certain standard these days and I've seen some hostels that give crap breakfasts and it's affected their ratings.
Thanks
13 years
The hostels I've stayed at so far here in se Asia consider breakfast toast with butter, peanut butter, jam (several different kinds), and coffee & tea. It's mostly "get your own breakfast from the table before it's 11:00." Most of the guys end up with 4 pieces of toast and the girls end up with 2. If there is a convenience store or market nearby, the guests can get creative and get cheese, meat, or whatever for themselves to put on the toast.
13 years
The breakfast described by fonfon is the absolute minimum. I've had worse, such as just 2 pieces of bread, vegemite and peanut butter spreads, and just one mug tea or coffee (refills not allowed).
A basic breakfast for me would be: a small glass of juice, cereal and cold milk, unlimited bread or toast with at least jam and another spread, and unlimited tea/coffee. Better would be some sliced meat/cheese or a hard boiled egg in addition.
People often distinguish between a "full English" / "American" breakfast and a "Continental" breakfast. This is not a useful distinction, because "Continental" means anything from my worst example above, to a buffet where everything I have mentioned above and more is available in unlimited amounts.
13 years
hostels ive worked in that provided breakfast generally had a buffet of toast, cereals, spreads, tea, coffee & juice which should be enough for anyone. these sorts of basics can all be purchased pretty cheap (generic brands) and provided theres enough of it to go around 99% of backpackers will be happy. providing any more jacks your costs up considerably; that said, if there's meat/cheese/fruit involved i'd happily pay an extra couple of dollars for it and get a big cheap feed in the morning.
whatever you do though, please dont ration it (eg. 2 pieces of bread per person) as some of us need a lot more food than others to function throughout the day.
13 years
I've seen a couple of hostels offering waffle or pancake mix. Pretty cheap to make a big batch and makes you stand out a bit. Also when people cook them it will make the hostel smell nice aswell!!
13 years
I've seen a couple of hostels offering waffle or pancake mix. Pretty cheap to make a big batch and makes you stand out a bit. Also when people cook them it will make the hostel smell nice aswell!!
Yeah, Csaba from the aboriginal hostel in Budapest is making those waffles. Good smell, cheap feast in the morning. with cereals and jam. homemade Jam is cheap and best if you are living in a fruity part of the world, but you have to mark it as "mothers present" for the travellers.
We sell tickets for an open buffet to travellers. we get a special price and guests have nothing to complain at all(idea from Lollis homestay, unconference Dresden;)
This week we are planning to offer a small breakfast with cereals and milk...in our Bar next door, to advertise the Bar for nightly drinking sessions...
13 years
hi and sorry for the late input on this one
I think the breakfast you offer depends where in the world you are, who your customer market is and what the competition is offering.
From my hostel experiences, if it is hot at breakfast time I can't see people wanting/ expecting anything warm. Hopefully the warm climate will bless you with an abundance of fresh fruits and the ability to make your own juice. Maybe some bread and jam and cereals too to make it more substantial.
In places where it is colder in the mornings (eg La Paz, Bolivia), most of the gringo hostels offer just pancakes and jam/ dulche de leche with hot drinks.
I personally can't stand instant coffee but more importantly I think the smell of real coffee sets the mood and maybe moves the breakfast up a notch.
As gordo says, please don't ration the breakfast! It just looks wrong and makes you feel like you are back at school.
I've seen that most of the hostels in one area tend to offer the same breakfast (generally clustering around the lowest common denominator) and as a big fan of breakfast (well, food in generally actually) I would forgive other things in a hostel if the breakfast was fab and a cut above the rest.
If your target market is backpackers from other cities of the country you maybe you would be best to offer people what they get at home.
mmm getting hungry just thinking about food!
13 years
I stayed in a hostel in Granada where they had bread and spreads out along with cereal and it was all self serve, then there was a basket of fresh eggs that you could then prepare in whatever way you wanted which was really great for me and my brother who I was travelling with. As long as stuff is fresh and good quality, most people are happy. There was a pot of coffee brewing on the stove as well, and whilst I'm not a coffee drinker, it definately set a pleasant morning mood. I've learnt that if you give people good coffee, they're happy!
13 years
Breakfast can be a great addition for your general look of the hostel. If you have an idea for nice breakfast for reasonable funds you can achieve a nice advantage to your local competition.
Many people don't expect much more then a standard typical hostel breakfast and its a nice surprise for them when they get a huge breakfast with 2 kind of breads & rolls, 4 types of ham, 2 kind of cheese, selection of veggies, jam and everything nicely served.
Pancakes gives a nice variety to regular breakfast and if people stay more then 3 days they wont get bored with the same food everyday.
If you want to know exactly what I'm talking about just visit us in Krakow.
13 years
These ideas sound very appetising, unlimited breakfast etc., but how on earth is it financially viable without adding a lot to your bed price?
13 years
These ideas sound very appetising, unlimited breakfast etc., but how on earth is it financially viable without adding a lot to your bed price?
I must admit I was wondering that myself. To provide an unlimited basic breakfast here would cost at least €2.50 each, possibly more, which would have to be either added on to the bednight cost or come out of the revenue of the hostel. Also there would be not insignificant staffing costs associated with preparing it and doing dirty dishes etc. Otherwise of course you can have it as an additional charge if people asked for breakfast. I guess if it was good value you might get enough people taking up a paid breakfasat.
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