According to a 2013 study conducted by the NPD Group ⅓ of restaurant visits include children. Surprised? While many parents certainly enjoy dining out alone, the reality is date nights can be expensive once you include a sitter. As families pack more activities and obligations into each day, home-cooked meals are more difficult to come by. Creating a kid-friendly restaurant can help you tap into this market; one that isn’t likely to disappear.
If visions of giant characters and tables covered in crayon scribbles are currently dancing in your head, bear with me and I assure you they will disappear! Kid-friendly restaurants don’t have to be flashy and juvenile. Contrary to popular beliefs, many kids just want the chance to act and be treated like adults. Think about ways to create an immersive experience with a family-friendly theme, something parents and kids will like that isn’t kitschy. Some common interests that kids and grown ups share include: trains, nature, and cultural traditions. You can decorate your restaurant to maturely embrace these kinds of themes by including:
- Photos
- Interactive models
- Kids menu activities
- Themed dish names
- Bright colored service aprons
For those not ready or willing to dive into an extensive theme, another kid-friendly option is to make your food look fun. With all of the technologies available today there are endless possibilities for the form any food can take. Utilize specialty or creative plating techniques to send out lunch that looks more like edible art. Keep in mind that kids also love finger foods (which tend to be less messy).
As the general population moves toward a desire for healthy food options and childhood eating habits, restaurants need to jump on the same bandwagon. Many popular family dining chains have cut soda and high sodium options from their kids menus to keep up with the healthy eating trends. If it’s not an option, the kids won’t be tempted to choose bad foods which will keep parents coming back for more.
Parents ultimately decide where the family will eat when dining out, but they will most often look for restaurants where a child can feel comfortable and welcome. Creating a kid-friendly concept doesn’t have to mean a giant mouse character or pizza and chicken fingers as the main meal options.