As most of us know, the way to make families happy is to keep the children happy. Nowadays, we are seeing more restaurant operators catering to the needs of the children that patronize their establishments with their parents. Whether it is kids’ events, crayons, creating a more playful experience, or offering table games, keeping kids happy makes parents happy as well.
Start Today
When you have children in the restaurant, think about offering some kid-type appetizers to drive your check averages up. No need to completely reinvent the wheel here, look at what you already have in stock and think about ways to make it kid-friendly. Some things to consider as “kid friendly” appetizers are:- A small piece of a cheese quesadilla served with sliced apples
- Sliced apples, bananas or celery with peanut butter to dip
- Cheese and crackers
- Celery and Carrot sticks with ranch dipping sauce
- Small orders of fried mac and cheese, corn nuggets or mozzarella sticks
- Pre-packaged snacks like crackers and applesauce
- Offer kids a small ball of pizza dough to let them play with or shape into their own creation that you bake for them to eat
If you served these items complimentary when tables with children first sit down, this will occupy the kids allowing the parents to review your menu and make their experience more enjoyable all the way around. This really shouldn’t cost more than table bread or crackers you might give complimentary already.
The Check Effect
If their children are entertained, happy, and well-behaved, then the odds of the parents ordering appetizers, desserts, and coffee are more likely. The choice is yours whether to sell these kid friendly appetizers as part of your menu, or to give them away as a complimentary item. Consider adding kid friendly dishes to drive your check averages.
Need more ideas? Check out our tips for creating a healthy kids' menu.
