Establishing A Family Friendly Restaurant

By: Patricia Farnham

If you have children then you probably have stories to share about experiences going out to eat with them. Most of the time children enjoy eating out with their family at a restaurant to celebrate their birthday or just to enjoy some family time out of the house. However, most parents will tell you it isn't always easy to keep everyone happy during the event. Eating in a restaurant that is well designed for children does make it much easier for them though

If you don't offer a good experience for a family while they are eating in your restaurant, they won't be returning. It doesn't matter how good the food is or how great your prices are if they didn't have a good time there. Parents tend to get stressed out when they take their children to a restaurant anyway because of the risk of behavior problems or spilled drinks. If they feel uneasy in the establishment then it only escalated the overall level of stress the have about it.

The quality of your staff is definitely a huge factor when it comes to making the establishment family friendly. You will be amazed at how many waitresses don't realize that a family of five sitting down to eat needs more than one napkin apiece! Paying attention to such details is always appreciated by the customers. You will want to offer drink cups with lids for children as well. Otherwise you better expect to be cleaning up spills and replacing drinks for them on a regular basis.

The first thing many parents notice when they sit down in a restaurant is the menu. They will scan it to see if there are any selections for children on it. The cost of their dining experience may double if they have to buy their children full meals which you would think is going to increase your profits. Yet it will cost you them returning as it is too expensive for them. Offer some good choices for children and you will have a very family friendly menu.

Older children eat more but they may not be ready for a full sized meal. You can offer a junior menu for them as well. This will offer portions that are less than an adult meal but more than you will be serving to the very small children. You need to adjust the prices for these types of children's meals as well. If you offer a buffet option in your restaurant then charge a lower price for children to eat, than for adults.

It can be difficult for small children to wait for their food to arrive. If they are extremely hungry you might offer some crackers from the salad bar to the parents. They will appreciate the effort. You can also ask the parents if you should rush the meals for the children. This will allow them to start eating sooner. Offer coloring pages and a few crayons or games too. This will help them to pass the time and keep them in their seats so they aren't running around the restaurant.

Seating for children is often an issue at many restaurants. They may have high chairs but only one or two. When the restaurant is busy there is likely more of a need for them so have plenty on hand. High chairs aren't expensive and for parents of small children they are a necessity. Also offer booster seats for those children too big for a high chair but too small to successfully reach the table on their own yet.

Cleaning up from children in a restaurant doesn't have to be difficult. High chairs and booster seats can be wiped down after each use. Have a quite push vacuum available so clean up is easy and it won't disturb other customers. It is very easy to make a restaurant friendly for children. If you don't have any of your own though this is something you may miss as a restaurant owner. Parents will pick up on this issue quickly and it is going to influence their decision to dine with you or not. Don't lose out on your share of this huge market when you can invest a small amount in making your restaurant the best place to eat with children in tow.

Article Source: http://www.bigfreearticles.com

About the Author:
Patricia Farnham has a wealth of experience in the restaurant industry. Check out her website for some valuable veteran insights, warnings and advice on opening a restaurant. This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.

Tags: women in business, restaurant industry, restaurant business, open a restaurant, buy a restaurant, start a restaurant, restaurant industry, sell a restaurant, restaurant for sale, start a restaurant, open a restaurant, buy a restaurant, restaurant industry, sell

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