Creating a kid-friendly dining experience could be critical to your restaurant's long-term success. Families contribute immensely to the hospitality industry. In 1955, the restaurant industry alone comprised 25% of the family food dollar. In the 60+ years since that number has risen to 51%. That being the case, you want to avoid alienating families from your restaurant in any way. The availability of high chairs, for example, could have a significant impact on the number of parents willing to visit your establishment. To help you attract more parents into your base of loyal customers, here are some tips for creating a kid-friendly dining experience.
Offer a Kids' Menu and Activities
Having a kids' menu, ideally featuring some healthy kid's meal options, is a great way to create a kid-friendly dining experience. Kids love being able to read a menu and order for themselves. Designing a menu specifically for kids makes that much easier for them. This is particularly important for restaurants that normally serve dishes that aren't appealing to kids. You want to show that you're fully prepared to host the pickiest of eaters!
Of course, creating a kid-friendly dining experience is about more than just food. You can also provide kids play areas and kids activity packs to keep them entertained, along with party hats for birthday celebrations. If you offer outdoor seating, make sure your tables provide some shade. You don't want parents to be concerned about their children overheating or getting sunburns. You can create shade outdoors with large umbrellas or by moving tables behind any large trees you may have on the property.
Leave Room for Prams
Logistically, going out to eat with young children can be quite difficult. You can make this experience much easier for parents by adjusting the layout of your restaurant. The key is to leave lots of room between tables for prams, which some parents will need to push until they reach their table or booth. You can take things a step further by offering a secure space where parents can park their prams until they've finished their meal and are ready to leave.
Include Low Tables and High Chairs
Some venues purport to be kid-friendly but then don't have tables or chairs that kids can use. Only offering stools and bar-height tables, for example, can make it impossible for kids to enjoy a meal at your restaurant.
Thankfully, you can solve this problem by also making low tables, regular chairs, and high chairs available. With this variety of tables and seating, you'll have no trouble accommodating families with kids of all ages.
Have a Warm and Welcoming Staff
Encourage your staff to be just as warm and welcoming to children as they are to parents. This will be especially reassuring to shy children, who will immediately feel more comfortable dining at your establishment. It will also show parents that you genuinely care about their children having fun and an overall positive experience at your restaurant.
Reward Hospitality New Zealand Has the Resources You Need
Creating a kid-friendly dining experience often involves purchasing various products in bulk. This is just one of the many services we offer at Reward Hospitality New Zealand. We're dedicated to helping businesses in the hospitality industry across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Our range of services and solutions includes equipment advice, custom venue design, custom printing, and much more.
To get in touch with our team, please call us at 1800 473 927 or fill out our online form at your next convenience. We will get back to you as soon as we can.