How To Create a Fun, Family Atmosphere in Your Restaurant
One way your restaurant could be losing out on a lot of business is if you do not cater to families. This is an untapped market. Plenty of parents want to bring their kids with them to dinner. If you provide essential accommodations, then families in your town will flock to your establishment. The first step of all this involves ensuring your commercial appliances are serviced and ready for usage so that you can prepare everything on the menu properly. Next, you need to follow these steps.
1. Create a Separate Kids’ Menu
Ideally, your restaurant will have a standalone kids’ menu so that children can find something they want to eat. A lot of kids are picky, so it is best to keep things basic. A kids’ menu consisting of a simple cheeseburger, grilled cheese and chicken tenders is great.
2. Provide Booster Seats and High Chairs
Families with particularly young children will not be able to keep them in a regular seat. Your servers should be able to offer families high chairs and booster seats. A good rule of thumb is to have one of each for every three tables you have. It is also a good idea to install changing stations in the bathrooms.
3. Get Some Child-Friendly Activities
It is standard for many restaurants to provide a coloring page and some crayons to tables with children. Kids tend to get rambunctious if they have to sit in one spot for too long, especially when they are hungry. If you are capable of doing so, then you can even set up a play area for the kids. They can hang out with other kids and wait for the food to come.
4. Bring the Food Out Fast
Kids will get cranky fast if they do not get their food quickly. Your servers need to provide each table with the menus quickly so that everyone can put in their orders shortly after sitting down. They should be capable of getting at least the drinks and bread out quickly.
5. Have Shatter-Proof Utensils
Kids do not always have the best table manners. The kids should receive cups with lids and straws so that it does not spill everywhere if the child accidentally tips it over. You may also want to invest in melamine or plastic dinnerware to give the kids, so they do not break anything.
6. Get the Word Out
After you do all this, you need to market all your kid-friendliness. Families will not show up if they do not even know you provide high chairs and a kids’ menu. One excellent way to get the word out is to partner with other kid-friendly businesses in the area, such as a toy store or a youth clothing store.
With the right appliances and the right marketing strategy, you can bring in more clientele. By marketing to kids and bringing in families, you will pack more tables because a greater number of people are coming in. For more information on how to keep your restaurant’s appliances working, request a service from CASCO today.