Breakfast- what do you guys offer?

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I was wondering what you guys offer as breakfast?
We have our guestroom on Airbnb and offer different varieties of coffee, hot chocolate and tea in the room but so far we are not offering any breakfast. Mostly because we weekdays need to go to work really early in the morning and if we have guests, nothing could stay warm for as long as they probably would like to stay in bed while being on a holiday. Also it feels like maybe people would like to decide on what to eat themselves, with all the diet needs many people has these days. We offer room in our fridge for our guests.

But what do you guys do?

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I provide the premium granola and meusli from Lidl/Aldi which is very good plus cornflakes, Weetabix and Shredded Wheat. Toast, butter and jam/marmalade. Sometimes eggs. All self service. Just enough to get them going.

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Like Jess1, I provide a variety of cereals (although just the regular Aldi stuff…I’m such a cheapskate lol), bread, butter and some spreads and some fruit. Pastries too, sometimes.
Cereal is a really good one because it lasts for ages and guests really appreciate having at least something to eat before they head out. Also, if you don’t have ‘breakfast’ listed as an amenity, you get points for underpromising and overdelivering, which is never a bad thing.

As an aside, for those that offer kitchen access to guests, this summer I started doing a “sharing box” in the fridge and it’s worked pretty well. I’ll put in stuff that is nearing it’s expiry date and we (family) won’t manage to eat it all, or things that I picked up as a bargain. It’s also where guests can leave perishable things that they can’t take with them when they leave. This last point has been a major plus because I no longer discover weird bits of cheese in random places in the fridge!

One last thing: whatever you offer for breakfast, make sure it is in a clearly defined space dedicated to guests. Like a basket or a small shelf labelled “For Guests”, or point the space out in the house tour.

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I just leave them a fruit basket. Perhaps you can get them yogurt and juices and tell them it’s in the fridge if they want it.

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I really don’t offer breakfast. I have 2 containers of instant oatmeal in the cupboard but that’s it for breakfast food.

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I offer Tea/Coffee, Bread (Brown sliced and Irish soda), Porridge, Corn Flakes & Muesli…Bananas, Yoghurt, Milk, Butter & a selection of jams. I normally just set everything out in the kitchen for guests the night before, so that if they are up early…it is ready for them.

I have an area in my kitchen where I keep out the plates, bowls, spoons & knives for guests. I show them where it is located as well as show them where the stuff they can eat is located in fridge.

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I put out a selection of cereals, bagels and English Muffins, whole grain bread and flavored swirled bread, instant oatmeal & grits, Pop Tarts, granola bars, bananas & oranges, milk, almond milk, OJ, yogurt, cream cheese, butter and jam, coffee and a selection of tea bags.

I think the thing that impresses people the most though is that I set the breakfast nook table every morning with pretty placemats and cloth napkins, as well as everything they will need, including coffee cups, juice glasses and plates/bowls. I think it makes them feel a little pampered.

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We’re a bit “old school” - we’re in our late 60’s and we have people staying in our spare room on an occasional basis - we aim for about 10 to 12 nights’ occupancy per month. Our kitchen/diner overlooks the (quite scenic) Lancaster Canal - ducks, swans, boats, etc. Like Chloe we set out the table properly with place mats, napkins, nice crockery, glasses, etc. We offer five different cereals (granola seems to be the most popular), with fruit compote (Sainsburys Summer Fruits), plain yoghurt and four or five smaller fruit yoghurts. Then toast from my home-made bread (choice of walnut, granary or fruit spice) and a choice of four or five home-made jams, marmalade or Greek island honey. Sometimes instead of toast I’ll bake croissants. There’s a bowl of fresh fruit on the table as well. Fruit juice, tea (breakfast or herbal) and fresh coffee as well. I chat to the guests (main question - did you get a good night’s sleep?) while they eat their cereal and I grill the toast, and then I let them get on with it. It all seems to work quite well - guests frequently remark in their reviews of how good the breakfast is (although it’s not actually that much), and how nice it is to sit looking out over the Canal.

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I’m a certified Personal Chef. At the Poolside Cabana with Gourmet Flair we provide the usual caf and decaf coffees and teas, sugar, creamer (powdered and liquid). I also provide a full prepared Breakfast for Two – a dozen or so menu items from which the guests choose what they want for each morning. They are served, weather permitting, outdoors poolside.

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Here’s my current Breakfast Menu – it varies every 6 months or so:

Staffordshire Oat Cakes
A thick risen oat flour “pancake” topped with an egg and bacon; or served “English sweet” with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Creamy Dreamy Grits
Creamy, white cheesy grits with sausage or ham and toast with chef-made marmalade.

Spanish Tortilla de Patata
Classic dish of fried potato slices and diced onion, smothered in beaten eggs, then finished in the oven.

Shakshuka
This North African dish features eggs poached on a tangy base of diced tomato onion and peppers, dusted with Moroccan herbs and spices.

Florida French
Thick-cut challah bread French toast with orange extract dip, artisan cane syrup, and seasonal fruit.

Scottish Borders
Scotch Egg and steel-cut oatmeal with chef-made orange marmalade.

HrĂŚringur
This Icelandic breakfast treat is a combination of steel-cut oatmeal and creamy Skyr yogurt, served either sweet with a dollop of chef-made marmalade; or savory, with bacon crumbles.

Biscuits & Gravy
Chef-made biscuits with sausage gravy, and a fried ham slice.

Quiche Inna Cup
Well, a mug actually. Eggs, dairy, green onion, red bell pepper, and diced ham or bacon crumbles.

Breakfast Burrito
Large tortilla filled with eggs, sauteed peppers & onions, and cheese. Served with red or green salsa.

Cajun Omelet
Eggs filled with tangy Andouille sausage, shrimp, mushrooms and cheese; with a side of toast and chef-made marmalade.

Avocado Toast
Multigrain toast topped with sliced tomato and a mash of avocado and sauerkraut that is absolutely amazing. PBWF

Breakfast Muffins To Go
Need to catch that early flight, or the Key West Express? These savory muffins are just the thing. Eggs, meat, cheese and condiments all-in-one, with flavors you know and love.

The most expensive dish is the Cajun Omelet, which costs me about $3.79 for two people.

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OK, Ken - thanks for sharing - you’re clearly a cut above everybody else here - but most of us aren’t trained chefs. As I said, we’re just a couple of retired people with no formal training, just relying on our instincts for what people would like in a homely setting.

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YES!!! I am currently staying at an Airbnb in Queens, NY with my 13-year old and her friend. This place is filled with random food items, and I cannot tell what is intended for our use and what is not. Not that I’m all that eager to sample the wares, mind you. I was just making a cup of coffee (an ordeal in itself), and in the process of searching for coffee, I picked up a greasy, unlabeled Ziploc bag of cereal remnants. Why???

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Something like this …

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and of course: coffee

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oh @AlexSJ, Costa Rican breakfasts are the best. Do you offer that bean and rice dish (I don’t remember what it’s called).

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I have a private room in my home but it’s separated from me by a closet I’ve built and they no longer have access to a kitchen. In their room is a fridge and microwave. I provide a kettle, tea, instant coffee, sweetners, half and half creamer. I have a small soy or almond milk available if I know or suspect the guest would appreciate it I put it in there. I have started this year leaving a breakfast bar type item, a biscotti or cookie pack per person per stay. If I greet the guest I say it’s just emergency rations. “I need coffee in the morning so I can go get coffee.” I’d say half the guests don’t touch anything.

When I offered breakfast back when I first started and they came into my home I had bread for toast, some sort of fruit, hard boiled eggs on hand at all times. They were welcome to pretty much anything in my kitchen. I was usually home and would sit and chat with them while they “made” their own breakfast.

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It’s called Gallo Pinto… and no rice&beans at my place for breakfast. I do eat it when out and about, actually just now had some at the beach in Samara.
Since it is served about everywhere else, people are happy with our breakfast plus …the view is hard to beat. :wink:

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@KenH - I love your menu and want to try all of them. (Although I remember that we had a conversation here ages ago and you agreed to make me my favourite (English) beans on toast when we come to stay with you - I’ll hold you to that one day :slight_smile: )

I’d be interested to know what the costs are of other hosts who provide the delicious-sounding spreads described above. How much per guest per day? And how much total when you factor in your time? I’m hopeless and only offer a few self-service bits and pieces.

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I would love to slip down to CR for a weekend. I may yet stay at one of your places.

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You might recall that Ken broke down his prices once and it was surprisingly inexpensive to provide breakfast. And in Ken’s case he doesn’t really have to factor in his time in the same way some workers would because he is there anyway. For some people when you clearly love to do something, you’d work for free just for the chance to do it.

I don’t charge a “cleaning fee” in part because of the way my place is set up and in part because the price of the room is my pay. If I didn’t have a guest the room would sit empty so it’s not “costing” me to host. If that makes sense.

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Come on over …you’ll love the Treehouse … real one built into a living, thriving tree …not one where they cut down all surrounding trees to call it a treehouse …
and our place at the beach …well …we love it.

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Yes definitely have the guests things separate. I couldn’t bear them in my fridge. I have a small guest fridge in my utility with milk, butter, jam and a shelf each for the guests own snacks.