Why Is Brunch So Expensive: Surprising Reasons Uncovered
Brunch is something that is adored and hated by different groups of people and truth to be told, there are some pros and cons to it that can make such a reaction. Brunch is the combination of breakfast and lunch and as you might suspect, it isn’t just like breakfast but it isn’t lunch either.
In this article, I will walk you through why is brunch so expensive when compared to breakfast and lunch, in addition, we will quickly go over why is there such thing as brunch, why it is so popular, and some additional things considering brunch that are just good to know. But first, why is brunch so expensive?
Brunch is expensive because it has acquired such a reputation and people are willing to pay more. Also, brunch is a status symbol that results in higher prices and some of the ingredients cost more than usual. Another factor is that brunch groups usually split the bill which makes everyone over-order food.
Some ingredients aren’t usually enjoyed in the breakfast, so it also turns up the prices a bit but more on that below. If you want to fully understand the reasons in-depth, then I suggest you stick with me because I will take each of the reasons under my microscope individually to help you understand why brunch usually costs so much.
Contents
Reputation & Status Symbol
The thing is, there are some services in the world that just have a high price solely for the reason that people are willing to pay more, which they will. For example, weddings are like brunches in this matter because they cost so much more than the actual price to host and arrange the event. People just are used to the unbelievable prices of it, therefore why would a business charge less than the customer is willing to pay, that’s just bad business.
Brunch’s status symbol is another reason why the prices are and remain so high even when usual foods are pancakes and mimosas. There is something when you can say ”I’m going to a brunch” which will sound fancy and it usually will be. For many people, the experience and feel you can get from going to a brunch is well worth the high prices.
Ingredient Cost
Even when brunch is overpriced by a long shot, there are some reasonable reasons why brunch usually has a higher cost than breakfast or lunch. For example, mimosas that are the essence of a brunch are alcoholic beverages, specifically made from champagne which isn’t cheap and is mixed with orange or some other citric juice.
Some other expensive foods are blinis that are usually topped with caviar, shrimps, or other expensive seafood. Not to forget salmon, expensive cheeses, and sparkling wine that are very commonly found on top of the glorious brunch table.
Splitting the Bill
Splitting the bill evenly is a popular sight when it comes to brunches. This is because when you are dining with a large group and everyone orders a couple of mimosas, some extra blins, cheese plates, etc. It will be a hassle and pain in the mind when trying to keep up with what everyone had ordered. Therefore splitting the bill evenly is much easier.
The reason why this result in more expensive bills is because when everyone knows that the bill will be divided evenly it creates an illusion that everyone has more money to spend when all of the sudden your $10 mimosa costs $2 because everyone is paying for it, however when everyone is thinking like that it really raises the cost.
All in all, if the group still decides to go for a brunch this is probably already known and not everything in life should be about dollars and pennies so if you enjoy brunches, go for it and enjoy like never before!
Why is brunch a thing
In short, a man named Guy Beringer invented brunch in 1895 because people could skip the Sunday morning breakfast and attend brunch instead. This is because brunch ”would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers” and that’s why he also included alcoholic beverages as part of brunch.
Why is brunch so popular

Brunch is popular for many reasons. First of all, it makes it possible for people to skip an early Sunday breakfast and let them sleep a while longer and party a while later on a Saturday night.
In addition, those who have money or income large enough to socialize in the middle of Sunday while paying large checks of the meal experience are extremely fond of brunches. This is because of the high-quality and expensive foods, the brunches relaxed atmosphere, and the status symbol. However, make no mistake brunch isn’t just favored by the wealthy but it is extremely popular in those circles.
At the end, who doesn’t like to wake up late, head for a nice restaurant and sip mimosas until you feel funny. And for those who don’t drink alcohol, there are much more to enjoy besides that!
Is Brunch more breakfast or lunch
Brunch is a mixture of breakfast and lunch, however, brunch leans more towards breakfast because many of the foods served are more breakfast items than those served with lunch. All things considered, brunch is a thing of its own and it usually replaces both breakfast and lunch.
What are the most popular brunch items
If brunch isn’t something it sure isn’t an empty table and there are so many things that you can include in a taste-rich brunch table, however, there are certain ingredients and foods that are above the other, therefore I have listed the most commonly found items below.
- Mimosas
- Sparkling Wine
- Coffee
- Tea
- Bloody Marys
- Blinis
- Smoked Salmon
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- Shrimps
- French Toast
- Dim Sum
- Bacon & Eggs
- Different Quiches
- Baguette
There are quite a bit foods that you can include in a brunch and the ones above are the absolute popular ones so you can imagine what else can there be!
What can I make for brunch at home
You can practically make anything that a restaurant has at brunch time, however not all of them are the easiest to make so if you are looking for some casual but delicious brunch foods, you’ll want to check out what I usually make for brunch.
If I’m in the mood for brunch, I usually craft some easy shrimp blinis that are topped with obviously shrimp’s, red onion, french creme, or mayonnaise. This is my absolute favorite!
Also, I’m a huge fan of smoked salmon salad that includes red onion, avocado, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, maybe some feta cheese, lime juice, olive oil, and some simple spices (salt & pepper) in addition to the smoked salmon itself and some crispy romaine salad.
My last recommendation that is just absolutely perfect for brunch is a sweet one. Pancakes with some maple syrup and berries will do the trick perfectly.
In addition, mimosas are kind of mandatory for a proper brunch but you can also serve sparkling wine, sparkling water, tea, coffee, or some refreshing juices!
Conclusion
Brunch is usually more expensive than breakfast and lunch and the reasons for that are not so understandable, yet some ingredients simply cost more to offer for the customers. My personal opinion is that if you find brunches enjoyable even if they cost more than they should, you should take pleasure in everythign you can because life is too short to worry about constantly saving money. Even when that is extremely important sometimes.
I hope that you got some great value from this post and understand now why brunch is so expensive in addition to some other factors that consider the beloved late Sunday morning meals.