Dishing up egg and bacon could be the way for food franchises to serve up stronger early morning sales as a survey from franchise group FoodCo has revealed the traditional start to the day remains the most popular item on the menu when people are eating breakfast out.

However muffins, pancakes and toast were the most popular choice for 20 percent of respondents, with berry flavour the top selection in the muffin stakes.

The Woolcott survey showed 50 per cent of Australians eat a meal on the go at least once a week while only 41 per cent said they eat out with the same frequency. More than one quarter of those surveyed said they ïvery rarelyÍ eat on the go and 13 per cent said they never do.

The survey

The survey for the franchisors of the Muffin Break, Jamaica Blue and Dreamy Donuts franchise brands also revealed:

• 13 per cent of Australians skip breakfast every day
• almost half miss the most important meal at least once a week
• only 34 per cent said they never miss breakfast
• on average Australians spend more on restaurants than cafes, food stands and fast food outlets combined
• the smell of the food is an important factor on deciding where to dine or when buying baked goods
• for pre-prepared lunches the top choices were sandwiches and rolls with hot meals such as pasta and pizza also popular.