The fast-food chain has brought back its all-day breakfast service to Victoria, Australia, following a five-year absence. The test runs begin Wednesday, with participating locations offering the complete breakfast menu from 4 AM until just before midnight. That means diners can get a Bacon and Egg McMuffin even after the morning rush has passed.
The test marks the first time in five years that customers in the country have been able to order the chain’s complete breakfast lineup throughout the day. The trial is limited to Victoria, and McDonald’s will use customer feedback to decide what comes next.
The return of the full menu
The menu that comes back includes the Bacon and Egg McMuffin, the Big Brekkie Burger and Hotcakes. McDonald’s breakfast service usually ends at 11:30 am, when restaurants move on to their lunch and dinner offerings.
Victoria will keep the full breakfast range on offer past the cutoff point. The chain pulled the All Day Breakfast from Australia in 2021, yet Hash Browns stayed available throughout the day. The rest of the breakfast menu items were limited to the standard morning hours instead.
“Macca’s breakfast has become a staple in many Aussies’ routines,” a McDonald’s spokesperson told news.com.au.
“We know our customers value choice and convenience, so we’re excited to trial All Day Breakfast in Victoria and give fans more opportunities to enjoy their breakfast favourites throughout the day.”
Victoria is the only place where All Day Breakfast operates at present, and there are no existing plans for it to grow beyond that city.
Why the change happened in 2021
The fast food chain quietly ended All Day Breakfast in Australia in 2021, following the US by a year. Customers who regularly bought breakfast items past lunchtime were among those complaining about the change.
At the time, McDonald’s said the change was made “to better meet the needs of customers during other peak times.” The company also explained why the move affected some items more than others.
“By adjusting our all-day breakfast schedule we hope to reduce the amount of time our customers may need to wait for other items during the afternoon and evening rush,” the company said.
Hash Browns were not changed and kept being served all through the day. The other breakfast items got limited to the usual morning hours instead.
What the trial means for Victoria
The Victoria test is modest in scope, yet it moves things forward. The fast-food chain is testing how customers react before choosing whether to bring the complete menu to other locations.
No word from the chain about bringing All Day Breakfast to other Australian states or other countries. The matter is still unresolved.
Right now, attention centers on Victoria, where customers can place orders for their breakfast favorites at any hour of the day, from the early morning right up to just before midnight.
KFC’s breakfast push
Australia’s second fast food chain has followed McDonald’s with a breakfast push of its own. KFC has extended its morning menu to more outlets after testing it first at Sydney Airport.
KFC’s breakfast menu features the Brekkie Tower, Ultimate Brekkie Wrap, Bacon & Egg Roll, avocado toast and Hash Browns, along with barista-made coffee. The rollout has so far covered a small number of outlets in Melbourne and the Gold Coast as the chain moves deeper into Australia’s breakfast market.
KFC’s move shows that breakfast is a competitive space. McDonald’s is bringing back a menu that customers clearly missed.
The timing of the trial
Starting Wednesday, McDonald’s locations throughout Victoria will be testing a schedule running from 4 AM until just before midnight.
| Time | Menu status |
|---|---|
| 4 AM | Breakfast starts |
| 11:30 AM | Regular morning cutoff ends |
| Midnight | Breakfast ends |
The entire selection of morning meals is available from the start of the day until shortly before the hour of twelve.
The verdict on the return
Five years is a long time to be without a favorite menu item, and Hash Browns being available all day made the wait even harder. The return of all-day breakfast is a welcome relief.
For now, the test is confined to Victoria alone, with no current plans to push it any further. Still, the gate remains unbarred, and the list of choices has returned.
The Bacon and Egg McMuffin is finally back on the menu for anyone in Victoria who has been wanting it. And now it is available again at 3 PM. The breakfast lineup has returned, and it will stay open later than it has in years.
Whether the test works is now the issue at hand. McDonald’s will observe customer reaction, and the result will decide if the full menu expands to more locations — or remains a treat exclusive to Victoria.
Source material: “McDonald’s finally testing all-day breakfast again after over five years,” Dexerto.
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