How early is too early?

[Morticia]

Had friends get a bad review because they wouldn't serve breakfast early. Their website says you may request an early breakfast. Apparently they say so in person as well. Probably worth the effort for them to quantify WHAT constitutes 'early' and what's 'out of our hands'. And perhaps their delivery of the 'no' left something to be desired.
I know most of us will attempt to fulfill this sort of request but I draw the line at anything before 7 AM.

 

[seashanty]

i served 'early' breakfast at 5:45 or 6 am ... folks have to be at the ferry dock at 6:30 am for the early boat.
kathleen i think goes earlier than that.
i specified that guests needed to arrange this with me ahead of time (the night before) when they checked in, we'd talk about breakfast and it worked out. not that i liked getting breakfast ready to serve by 5:45 because it meant i started making breakfast at 5. please keep in mind that my only 'competition' was across the road and was willing to do this early breakfast. so ....

 

[gillumhouse]

If they state quite clearly what the "window of opportunity" for breakfast is, they should not have a problem. I clearly state between 4am and 10 am please and they must tell me before turning in what time they want breakfast. I do the 4am ONLY because of the horse traffic because they want on the road before the heat of the day in summer. A "normal" early breakfast is 6am.

 

[Morticia]

If they state quite clearly what the "window of opportunity" for breakfast is, they should not have a problem. I clearly state between 4am and 10 am please and they must tell me before turning in what time they want breakfast. I do the 4am ONLY because of the horse traffic because they want on the road before the heat of the day in summer. A "normal" early breakfast is 6am..

If they state quite clearly what the "window of opportunity" for breakfast is, they should not have a problem. I clearly state between 4am and 10 am please and they must tell me before turning in what time they want breakfast. I do the 4am ONLY because of the horse traffic because they want on the road before the heat of the day in summer. A "normal" early breakfast is 6am.

I looked. No time specified. I don't even mention it unless someone brings it up. If someone asks, then I'm willing to go 7 AM. Anything before that is just too early for us. I know you keep odd hours, but I try not to!

When we're still being woken up by guests at 1 AM, there's no way we're ready to serve breakfast at 6 AM and then KEEP serving breakfast untill everyone has eaten!
My friends could avert the problem, I think, by stating the time they are willing to serve breakfast if, in fact, they ARE willing to get up early.

 

[gillumhouse]

If they state quite clearly what the "window of opportunity" for breakfast is, they should not have a problem. I clearly state between 4am and 10 am please and they must tell me before turning in what time they want breakfast. I do the 4am ONLY because of the horse traffic because they want on the road before the heat of the day in summer. A "normal" early breakfast is 6am..

If they state quite clearly what the "window of opportunity" for breakfast is, they should not have a problem. I clearly state between 4am and 10 am please and they must tell me before turning in what time they want breakfast. I do the 4am ONLY because of the horse traffic because they want on the road before the heat of the day in summer. A "normal" early breakfast is 6am.

I looked. No time specified. I don't even mention it unless someone brings it up. If someone asks, then I'm willing to go 7 AM. Anything before that is just too early for us. I know you keep odd hours, but I try not to!

When we're still being woken up by guests at 1 AM, there's no way we're ready to serve breakfast at 6 AM and then KEEP serving breakfast untill everyone has eaten!
My friends could avert the problem, I think, by stating the time they are willing to serve breakfast if, in fact, they ARE willing to get up early.
.

And that is what I meant - they MUST state the earliest time they are willing to serve (not prepare) breakfast. I allow 1 1/2 to 2 hours to do my breakfasts because unless it is a bread pudding or baked pineapple toast (which is what I plan on for a 4 A M breakfast) I start from scratch in the mornings. (Old people move slower, ya know....)

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

It all depends. I did an early one yesterday for the honeymooners who had to hit the road for a 3 hr drive to a dr appt near home. Then the other two rooms at 9am.
But if I have a totally full house it wakes EVERYONE for people to be down here with raised voices over breakfast and me in the kitchen slamming dishes around. Remember they are upstairs with hairdryers going and talking in the showers etc before coming down too.
I think it is actually quite RUDE to expect someone to make you breakfast before 730 or 8am. GRUNT, you are their GRUNT!
This is a B&B for crying out loud! a BED and BREAKFAST not a corner 24 hour diner!
For business guests I do an early breakfast always they eat they go - there is not a disruption of other guests, midweek to boot. Weekends people actually like to sleep in a bit.
I wonder what those reviewers would think about what I just wrote above? What time DID they want breakfast?

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

i served 'early' breakfast at 5:45 or 6 am ... folks have to be at the ferry dock at 6:30 am for the early boat.
kathleen i think goes earlier than that.
i specified that guests needed to arrange this with me ahead of time (the night before) when they checked in, we'd talk about breakfast and it worked out. not that i liked getting breakfast ready to serve by 5:45 because it meant i started making breakfast at 5. please keep in mind that my only 'competition' was across the road and was willing to do this early breakfast. so .....

i served 'early' breakfast at 5:45 or 6 am ... folks have to be at the ferry dock at 6:30 am for the early boat.
kathleen i think goes earlier than that.
i specified that guests needed to arrange this with me ahead of time (the night before) when they checked in, we'd talk about breakfast and it worked out. not that i liked getting breakfast ready to serve by 5:45 because it meant i started making breakfast at 5. please keep in mind that my only 'competition' was across the road and was willing to do this early breakfast. so ....

If there is a ferry waiting, YES then you must do earlier breakfasts. When in Rome. BY ALL MEANS! If a ferry pulled up out here in these mountains I would have heart failure.

PS the early brekkies would have the 30 minute special. Not many people want a huge breakfast super early anyway, coffee - yes!

 

[YellowSocks]

I think the earliest I've served was 5:45 (or was it 4:45?). They had to get their motorcycle to the track early. They got sausage links that I had cooked and frozen and then reheated, and pancakes and some super easy fruit.
=)
Kk.

 

[Copperhead]

As others have said - they need to put the times they do breakfast on their site. Then if someone needs something a little earlier and they are willing to oblige, then they would win additional points for doing so. This is what I do, but I do draw the line at the time...(I need all the beauty sleep I can get)! For those I leave out cereal, pastries and coffee on the timer.
As Junie said, this is a B&B, not an all night diner.

 

[Markie]

When guests want breakfast before 7AM I make them breakfast in a to-go box. It includes ham, hard-boiled eggs from our chickens, fresh fruit, muffins or quick bread, sweet and whole grain bread, butter, jam, and box juice. They love it!

 

[Morticia]

It all depends. I did an early one yesterday for the honeymooners who had to hit the road for a 3 hr drive to a dr appt near home. Then the other two rooms at 9am.
But if I have a totally full house it wakes EVERYONE for people to be down here with raised voices over breakfast and me in the kitchen slamming dishes around. Remember they are upstairs with hairdryers going and talking in the showers etc before coming down too.
I think it is actually quite RUDE to expect someone to make you breakfast before 730 or 8am. GRUNT, you are their GRUNT!
This is a B&B for crying out loud! a BED and BREAKFAST not a corner 24 hour diner!
For business guests I do an early breakfast always they eat they go - there is not a disruption of other guests, midweek to boot. Weekends people actually like to sleep in a bit.
I wonder what those reviewers would think about what I just wrote above? What time DID they want breakfast?.

They wanted to leave at 6 AM, which would mean breakfast at 5:30. I don't know if anyone else was in the house or not. But, yes, guests getting up early DO wake up a lot of other guests by slamming their suitcases down the stairs and talking to each other.
Even at 8 AM, I have guests who think they are the only people in the house. Especially if other guests come 2-3 rooms to a car or with no car at all. They look outside and see 1 car and figure, 'So what, it's one room,' and never realize that their voices are carrying all the way thru the house.

 

[Morticia]

When guests want breakfast before 7AM I make them breakfast in a to-go box. It includes ham, hard-boiled eggs from our chickens, fresh fruit, muffins or quick bread, sweet and whole grain bread, butter, jam, and box juice. They love it!.

When guests want breakfast before 7AM I make them breakfast in a to-go box. It includes ham, hard-boiled eggs from our chickens, fresh fruit, muffins or quick bread, sweet and whole grain bread, butter, jam, and box juice. They love it!

Do you set this up for them the night before and leave it in the fridge so they help themselves, or are you up handing it to them on their way out the door?

 

[greyswan]

Since we get military folks, we are making breakfast so they can leave at 7 - but only when pre-arranged.... and that is sitting down at 6:30. We've done continental several times if before 7 and the guests were happy .... it's too early for some of them to eat as well and to be able to take it with them to eat later worked out well.

 

[Samster]

I just added this to the confirmation email as a reminder. There is something similar on the website on the breakfast page.
"We serve our 3-course "Innkeeper's Choice" breakfast each morning in our dining room between 7:30-9:00am weekdays, and 8-9:30am on weekends. Other times by prior arrangement with the innkeeper."
Often we do have requests for 7 am breakfast during the week because of events that people have to get to here. We pin down folks on breakfast time the evening before...they just don't wander down to the dining room. I couldn't handle that with a full house, because of the work and how much seating I have available. It has worked out fine to date. I'm OK with the earlier time because I know folks need to keep to this schedule.
I've made breakfast to-go for early departures (sausage/egg biscuit, fruit, coffee and juice). I'm not willing to do this before 6:30 am though!! Some other folks with a fridge in their room, asked if they could have a continental since they wanted to leave at o'dark thirty. They had fruit, home baked goods, croissants that they could toast, jam/butter, juice, mini Babybel cheeses that I put in there the evening before. They also had a coffee maker and toaster in that room. I couldn't do that for every room but I could leave a basket of muffins and some fruit. All rooms have access to coffee. I keep saying that I'm going to pick up some of those small bottled OJs.
Then, there are the folks that realize that breakfast is complimentary. If they're leaving super early, they just say "Don't worry about making us anything for the morning since we're leaving so early, we'll grab something somewhere". They usually find a basket with some fruit and snacks in their room ;-)
It is the day of departure that usually might need a super early breakfast here.

 

[seashanty]

always a challenge ... many different approaches work, depends on you, your place, how it's set up ...
if guests would (please) just talk to the innkeeper(s) instead of assuming something and then getting angry.
i had so many guests stay with me because they said it was more homelike than a hotel but they weren't quite prepared for my not having a staff. once they caught on, it was a struggle to keep them out of the kitchen trying to do dishes. maybe it was too much like home?

 

[Samster]

always a challenge ... many different approaches work, depends on you, your place, how it's set up ...
if guests would (please) just talk to the innkeeper(s) instead of assuming something and then getting angry.
i had so many guests stay with me because they said it was more homelike than a hotel but they weren't quite prepared for my not having a staff. once they caught on, it was a struggle to keep them out of the kitchen trying to do dishes. maybe it was too much like home?.

Exactly! We're all different and just have to go with what works for us! Remembering that we are providing a complimentary service to our guests by providing them with a nice cooked from scratch yummy breakfast
Communication is key...you are soooooooooooooo right!

 

[Markie]

When guests want breakfast before 7AM I make them breakfast in a to-go box. It includes ham, hard-boiled eggs from our chickens, fresh fruit, muffins or quick bread, sweet and whole grain bread, butter, jam, and box juice. They love it!.

When guests want breakfast before 7AM I make them breakfast in a to-go box. It includes ham, hard-boiled eggs from our chickens, fresh fruit, muffins or quick bread, sweet and whole grain bread, butter, jam, and box juice. They love it!

Do you set this up for them the night before and leave it in the fridge so they help themselves, or are you up handing it to them on their way out the door?
.

I put it in the refrigerator the night before.

 

[ginocat]

I state on my web site that breakfast is at 8:30 a.m. and for something earlier a continental can be arrange with prior arrangement.

 

[gillumhouse]

I am in "Podunk" and within reason (and yes to me 4 am breakfast is within reason), I will do whatever I can to provide service to my guests. As a SMALL B & B I can do this - and it does bring me guests.
I did however just lose 2 bookings for the stable, one of which would had included me. One they have living quarters in the trailer so just wanted the stable - no B & B, no stable unless I am already full - and the other had a Lab and I guess did not take kindly to my question asking if the Lab could stay in the trailer for the night although I did ask her to call and she did not. I MAY have said OK if they had a crate for the dog. There are some things I will not budge on (no crate, no budge).

 

[YellowSocks]

I am in "Podunk" and within reason (and yes to me 4 am breakfast is within reason), I will do whatever I can to provide service to my guests. As a SMALL B & B I can do this - and it does bring me guests.
I did however just lose 2 bookings for the stable, one of which would had included me. One they have living quarters in the trailer so just wanted the stable - no B & B, no stable unless I am already full - and the other had a Lab and I guess did not take kindly to my question asking if the Lab could stay in the trailer for the night although I did ask her to call and she did not. I MAY have said OK if they had a crate for the dog. There are some things I will not budge on (no crate, no budge)..

I did however just lose 2 bookings for the stable, one of which would had included me. One they have living quarters in the trailer so just wanted the stable - no B & B, no stable unless I am already full - and the other had a Lab and I guess did not take kindly to my question asking if the Lab could stay in the trailer for the night although I did ask her to call and she did not. I MAY have said OK if they had a crate for the dog. There are some things I will not budge on (no crate, no budge).

Does your stable not do transient lodging except through you?
=)
Kk.