All-day decision

Local diners aren’t concerned about McDonald’s new 24/7 breakfast menu

Charlottetown breakfast hotspots are not worried about the decision by McDonald’s Canada to offer hashbrowns, Egg McMuffins and other earlymorning food 24/7 in 1,100 locations across the country.

The fast-food chain had previously sold breakfast foods (such as hash browns, Egg McMuffins, hot cakes, etc) only until 11 a.m., but announced Tuesday it was going to serve the foods all-day after a successful pilot project was launched at 20 locations across Canada in January.

Angela Flood, the manager at Smitty’s, isn’t worried about the extra competition and says the new policy shouldn’t affect their business.

“Smitty’s is more of a social aspect for our customers. We have regulars that come in daily for breakfast, not even for the food, but to see the workers and other regulars. So, I can’t see any of them giving that up for a McDonald’s breakfast.”

Flood said at Smitty’s, employees try to establish relationships with their customers to get on a personal level with them.

“We come out and serve our customers and interact with them. The regulars know a lot of us by name, so it’s more of a personal experience as opposed to McDonald’s, where you grab your food and leave or eat by yourself.”

Wendy Walker agrees with Flood. Walker, the manager at Maid Marians, said their breakfast is completely different than breakfast at McDonald’s.

“Our breakfast is for people who want to sit in and enjoy a home-cooked meal, while McDonald’s is more for people who’re on the go and need to grab a quick bite for breakfast.’ Walker added that, like Smitty’s, Maid Marians has a steady cliental of regulars who come in for the experience, just as much as the food. ‘We’re still busy every morning, so McDonald’s can’t be that big of a threat to our business.”