When kids want to go out to a fun restaurant for dinner but parents just want to stay in and order something that doesn't appeal primarily to children, conflict can ensue. This common disagreement usually means another night of sandwiches or frozen pizza. 

Your restaurant can be the superhero that kids and parents need, allowing everyone to order what they want.

Menufy associates frequently work with restaurant owners and operators who are looking for ways to market their menus to families. “Online ordering can be tricky for parents,” explained Sydney Bouldin, project coordinator, and mother of two. “I think for restaurants the most important thing is variety for the kids' options.

Andrea Cote, a Menufy client support specialist, sometimes feels hesitant when ordering out for her family. “Restaurants that lack a good selection of foods or provide little description of what’s in the dish” may be discouraging some parents from ordering an item, explained Cote.

Improving your marketability to families with kids doesn’t have to be difficult or a big investment. Here are six ways restaurants can simplify ordering for parents and appeal to children during delivery or takeout:

1. Treat Them Like Adults

Since the beginning of time, kids have loved playing pretend, and they often pretend to be adults. Lean into this by choosing some of the milder meals on your adult menu and adapting them for kids. To add to the experience, present the food in the same way that you would the grown-up versions, just in smaller portions.

As a busy mother, Andrea Cote often utilizes online ordering to save time, and she is always searching for creative, kid-friendly takeout options. “If I'm ordering out for my kiddos, I don't want to pay for something I could make at home,” explained Cote.

To find out which meals would most appeal to kids, post a survey on social media asking for parent input, a bonus opportunity for customer engagement. 

2. Let Them Play With Their Food

Sydney Bouldin knows that her two young kids enjoy helping in the kitchen, and she wants her takeout experience to provide similar opportunities. “Food that comes deconstructed and can then be assembled by the kids, like a happy face pancake with chocolate chips, would be really cool,” suggested Bouldin.

Rather than having meals that are fully ready to eat, let the kids construct their own food. If you offer sandwiches, for instance, package the bread and toppings separately, allowing kids to build the meal however they want.

Kids already like to play with their food, so why not encourage it? Just don't forget to include extra napkins! 

3. Include Fun Placemats and Crayons

Parents—and servers—keep kids occupied at restaurants by having paper placemats with pictures to color and a small set of crayons. If your restaurant has the resources to purchase these supplies, consider including them with to-go orders. 

“If to-go bags are white or brown, restaurants could include designs on them that kids could color,” recommended Bouldin. 

Encourage parents to snap a photo of their child's masterpiece and send it to your restaurant on social media using a custom hashtag. Repost the artwork, including the child's first name and last initial, so they can see that their work is "famous."

4. Offer a Loyalty Program for Kids

We all love the moment when we realize our punch card (or the digital version of it) is full, which usually translates to a free or discounted item. Kids are no different. So create a loyalty program just for them, like Menufy’s Tasty Rewards.

Enrollment in the Tasty Rewards program is free of charge for both the restaurant and your customers.

When a parent orders an item from the children's menu, ask if they want to sign their child up for a loyalty card. You wouldn't need to collect personal information about the child. The account could be connected to the parent's email address and have a unique username for each participating kid.

To activate Tasty Rewards on your restaurant's website, contact your Menufy representative or call us at (913) 738-9399.

5. Attention to Detail

Parents and guardians may want to include their children in the fun of online ordering. “The food, in general, is exciting for most kids, but pictures of the food are the best thing ever. Smaller children or nonverbal children can choose their own food when they see pictures of the dishes,” recommended Bouldin. 

Restaurant operators should also prioritize including detailed descriptions of menu items, with special attention given to pertinent allergy information. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has found that 1 in 13 children are affected by food allergies.

Food allergies need to be taken very seriously, and it’s important to list the ingredients used in your dishes or have that information available on request. “My older child has two food allergies, and I worry about some dishes because some online menus don’t have descriptions of what is in the food,” revealed Bouldin. 

Concerned restaurant managers can read more about accommodating allergies in a recent Menufy Blog.

6. Dessert Time!

Adding a sweet treat to your delivery order will further appeal to kids. 

Many restaurants only offer full-sized desserts, and if parents don't want their kids to have that much of a sugar rush, they may say no. However, consider offering a small dessert that comes with the meal, such as a scoop of ice cream, as an acceptable compromise. 

“Kid-sized desserts are also really great. Dessert is a great way to give kids incentive to eat, but I would not want to buy a full-sized dessert for the kids because it would be too large,” suggests Sydney Bouldin.

Another option is to include a small bag of candy or cookies in every to-go order. The whole family can enjoy these together, and the kids know a special treat is coming.

Final Thoughts

When done well, kid-friendly restaurant delivery or takeout options could benefit everyone. The parents get to stay home and eat the type of food they want rather than acquiescing to the kids' dinner desires. The kids get a memorable meal or experience with the delivery. Your restaurant gets opportunities to engage with your community, reach a demographic you may otherwise be unable to via delivery, and be creative in your offerings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Dimmitt, Marketing Communications Coordinator

Melissa began her digital marketing career nearly a decade ago at a restaurant group. She worked with restaurant managers and executive chefs while coordinating seasonal menu releases, executing photoshoots, and creating fresh digital content.