Big news, everyone: A restaurant specializing in breakfast sandwiches is set to open in New York soon. Word on the street has it that it's going to be called BEC (“bacon, egg, and cheese” — get it?), and you guys? I am so excited about this. Almost excited enough, in fact, to consider moving back to the city. I probably won't end up moving solely for a restaurant, but you can bet that I'll be hitting it up pretty much every single time I come to town — even if it's not morning. Breakfast is always best when consumed at anytime other than breakfast time, anyway, am I right?
According to DNAinfo, BEC's basic bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich will be served on a “custom brioche.” At $7, it's not exactly cheap; I have hopes that the price reflects the quality, though. Personal anecdote time: There was a pizza place that opened by my old apartment in Brooklyn that actually charged $4 (and later $5) a slice — but after tasting it? Oh man. I never thought I'd ever think a slice of pizza was actually worth $4, but that one definitely was. It was like a glorious dance of a million kinds of cheeses and the freshest ingredients, all taking place within the theater that was my mouth. The moral of the story? Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.
Anywho, other menu items will apparently include the Spicy Spaniard (egg, Manchego cheese, and Serrano ham), the Farmhouse (egg, ricotta, and pancetta finished off with honey and fig jam), and the Greeky Roman (egg, feta, and lamb sausage); these specialty sammiches will all cost $9 a pop. Records filed with the city indicate that operating hours will be 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.; furthermore, the place applied for a liquor license, so if all goes well, you can booze up your breakfast sandwich, too. Owner Jessica Bologna told DNAinfo that she's planning on opening up shop “within the next couple months.”
Interestingly, there's to be something of a formula when it comes to running a successful restaurant that specializes in one type of food. As far as I can tell, here are the elements you need to include:
1. Pick a food that everybody loves.
This will pretty much ensure your popularity — or at least net you a good deal of hype before you open.
2. Make sure there's cheese involved...
Most of the single-food restaurants I can name feature cheese: Grilled cheese; mac and cheese: bacon, egg, and cheese; and so on. Cheese is good. Everybody loves cheese.
3. Or, alternatively, make sure there's Nutella involved.
4. Also make sure your food choice lends itself to variations.
You want to make sure that, under your restaurant's general umbrella, there will be enough flavor combinations to appeal to as many people as possible. This doesn't mean you need a menu that's a thousand pages long; however, you should aim for options that cover most of your bases: Something savory, something sweet, something vegetarian, and so on.
5. Is it easy to make quickly and in large quantities? If yes, awesome.
This is an absolute must. How else are you going to keep up with demand?
6. Make sure no one else came up with your idea first.
This town ain't big enough for the two of you. Originality is key.
7. Drum up interest early.
That way, you'll already have a fan base when you finally open.
8. Think outside the box.
In every possible way: When dreaming up menu items, in your marketing scheme — everything.
9. Have fun!
Food is awesome! Share that love with everyone! Hoorah!
BRB, you guys — coming up with super secret plans to open up an all-French toast restaurant. Or maybe an all-pancake one. Or possibly an all-garlic bread one. Or...
Images: Adam Kuban/Flickr; Giphy (10)
