What customers want in a breakfast restaurant has changed a lot over the years. A few decades ago, diner-style restaurants were all the rage, and the typical menu featured options like pancakes, eggs, and French toast. While these menu items are still delicious, but they are not as sought-after today. People tend to eat breakfast out more often these days, and so they want healthier foods and something they're more likely to eat every day.

So, this begs the question: if you still have an old-style, pancakes-and-eggs breakfast menu, how can you modernize it? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. Offer a vegan and vegetarian section.

Many classic breakfast items are not traditionally vegan or vegetarian, but they are easy enough to make that way if you put in the effort. Oatmeal is easy to make without butter or milk. You can make vegan pancakes using applesauce as an emulsifier and almond milk as a liquid. Most egg dishes can be made with vegan egg substitutes or tofu. Many people these days either follow a vegan diet or try to eat vegan as a way of choosing healthier items when they go out, so this part of your menu will probably get lots of attention.

2. Pick a specialty food, and offer several variations.

Theme restaurant menus are really popular these days. Restaurant owners pick one classic dish and offer several variations of it. For example, you could offer six different types of eggs Benedict or six different types of scrambled eggs. This gives your customers options while keeping things easier for your kitchen, allowing them to turn out more plates in a short period of time. To keep things interesting, you can add a weekly special on the same theme. For example, you could have a featured Benedict each week.

3. Offer smaller plates.

Years ago, when people went out to breakfast, it was a special occasion, so they enjoyed a big meal. These days, though, with people eating out more often, many of them want smaller meals. So, a small plate section on your menu will get plenty of attention. You could include things like a bowl of oatmeal with fruit, a single pancake and sausage, a two-egg scramble with a piece of toast, or a fruit salad. 

With the ideas above, you can modernize your breakfast menu and market your breakfast restaurant to local clients.