Most restaurant owners hold their breath any time they see a large family walk through the door. They see their establishment turning into pure bedlam with a mom chasing her screaming children around the dining room, knocking over tables and upsetting other patrons. Granted some children are better-behaved than others, but this does not mean you should shy away from making your restaurant a more kid-friendly environment. Kids are customers too and big families can bring in big money for your establishment.
Parents will appreciate your acceptance of their children in a dining establishment and will remember your hospitable service again in the future. Train your staff to be as helpful as possible with children. Depending on the establishment, most of your staff will be of a younger age group and will not have a clue how to eat out with young children. Make sure your staff treats children with the same respect as older patrons.
If a waiter/waitress seats a larger family, make sure he/she gives them a larger space than they will actually need. For example if you are seating a family of four children with two parents, then given them a table that seats eight. The extra room will make them feel welcome and give extra room to seat whatever miscellaneous materials they will need for their child (e.g.-diapers, baby bottles, etc.)
Make sure your restaurant has all the furniture necessary to adhere to a child’s needs. This includes booster seats. There are a variety of booster seats you can choose from. Most are either made of wood or polyethylene. You should also make sure you have high chairs available as well for much younger children. CSL Foodservice makes a green-friendly high chair out of 100% recycled materials.
You should also make sure your restrooms are kid-friendly. Baby changing stations are always a necessity for any family restaurant. You should also have a disposal station on hand and available for diapers or baby wipes. The last, most important thing you will need in your restroom are child protection seats. These seats are wall mounted and allow the parent to strap the child in the seat while using the restroom. This will alleviate any kind of problems parents usually face going to the restroom with infants.
Toys are a great asset to have in a family restaurant. This includes crayons and coloring books, or even toy cars. Make sure that whatever toys you provide they are packaged and sanitary. You should also make sure to check with the parents first before handing out toys to youngsters.
It never hurts to change your kid’s menu. The national obesity crisis in the US is encouraging most restaurants to convert to healthy food alternatives. Fresh fruits and vegetables and non-fried items like baked chicken or pasta are certainly ideal. Make sure these entrees are in much smaller portions than your regular menu items.
With a dire economy, larger families are always looking for great deals when eating out. Have family specials on your menu and offer coupons, discounts, etc. for families of a certain number. Some restaurants even allow kids of ages 12 and under to eat for free. Loyalty programs always help to promote restaurants as well. An example of this would be after six meals a child eats for free. Sometimes prizes are even awarded with a selection of children’s books or other gifts being handed out. This will not only drive children to want to go to your restaurant, but will also earn points with parents. In turn, both kids and parents will want to keep coming back to your establishment in the future.
