Adults are spoilt for choices when it comes to food. Be it Chinese, Italian or Indian, there is plenty to choose from.Yet we don�t cease to complain even when we are spoilt for choices. In the restaurant business, adults are as heavily targeted as customers whereas; the future generation currently the little ones of the society are almost often forgotten. Across the globe, there are increasing numbers of establishments focused on creating a dining experience for the children, but are we doing the same in our country?
No child will rave about cuisines from around the world. A tasty, attractive, fun looking meal will suffice for them. A potential business opportunity seen by many. Cartoons, toys, animated menu cards, coloring books, etc. have all managed to make their way into big restaurants. The restaurants whose primary customers are families with children make special arrangements including having high chairs, play stations, special care takers, alive cartoon characters with whom they can spend their fun loving time & meanwhile couples and families can enjoy the dining.�
Nepali restaurateurs are focused on the youth and working professionals because they bring in more money than families. This is true, but children shouldn�t be overlooked because of an investment issue. They will bring in equal amounts of profits, if not more, like the adults. Restaurateurs are gladly willing to swap a dedicated children�s area for an extra few tables. Only a handful of establishments in the country that implement a system where the children are as equally involved in their dining experience as the adults.
New restaurants open up with complex and innovative menus for the newer generations and somewhere between all this they seem to forget that a small group of their customers are little children too. It is ultimately up to the restaurants to decide if they want to create a separate children�s menu but before they decide not to they should know that the children are actually a major force in driving their parents to establishments that the parents wouldn�t necessarily visit.
Here in the country, very few restaurants have a separate menu for children and most of them that do, only have smaller portions of burgers or pizzas or fries.Despite the lack of a children�s menu, so of those restaurants that deem themselves kid-friendly seem to have a separate area for children to play and interact with other children.
The kid�s menu has been widely followed around the world for quite some time now, and we are left behind. A reason for this concept not being as popular as other countries may be due to the fact that it is still very new in the country.Very Few Nepali families with little kids dine out with their kids. There are various reasons for the families not to include their children in their dining experience, but the major one is the inconvenience they face in the restaurant facility and the amount of attention they have put for their children rather than enjoying the meal. Further, Nepali restaurateurs are visibly hesitating to open a dedicated section in their establishments for children. They may see it as a larger investment that will not pay-off as quickly as they would have liked. This for sure, in case the restaurateurs start giving thought in creating a little more comfortable environment for the families, more families tend to dine out there by create environment of return on their investment in making an establishment kid-friendly.
Another reason is the lack of creativity that comes into play when serving children. Children like pizza and burgers these days more than any other types of food and that is mainly because they don�t have much to choose from. If children are to be served pizza and burgers, maybe a slight change in appearance can help make the food more appealing in the eyes of the children. Drifting away from pizza and burgers, a separate menu for children should be readily available in a family restaurant with innovative takes on food that would be equal parts tasty, attractive and healthy.
The term family restaurant is widely seen in the country. How many of them are actually family-friendly? Next to none. The idea of a family or kid-friendly restaurant in the country means no loud music and no smoking inside the premises.As mentioned earlier, Nepal has very few kid-friendly restaurants. Though there are plenty to choose from when it comes to family restaurants, children seem to be out of the equation when it comes to serving food and the overall feel of the place. There will be no signs of anything remotely related to children in a family restaurant other than free Wi-Fi which can keep the children hooked in the net or their favorite games until their food arrives.
Here are a few reasons why implementing a children�s menu can be beneficial to an establishment:
Increased Profits
If someone claimed a decade or so back that welcoming more children to a restaurant would increase profits, it would be laughable. But that is not the case anymore. A global trend that many families follow these days is dining out. Nepal is in the path of catching on to this trend. It is quite evident that many families�children are strongly influenced by the habits of their parents. Because parents often decide to eat where their little ones feel comfortable, happy and better cared of.Further, families with children often do not stay for a long in the restaurant &a table is freed up as fast as it was filled.
Marketability
As establishment grows, so does its reputation amongst peers and customers alike. A successful restaurant ensures that even when the rest of their competition is struggling to attract customers, they will not have any problems doing the same. A more popular establishment sees and influx of customers regardless of their prices, given they maintain their standards. This also opens the door for future investments and other possible expansions that help grow the brand. Opening a child-friendly restaurant is indeed a challenging one but definitely rewarding too, but it�s just that few things should be kept in mind focusing on the children�s basic need and desires.
Children Arena
Children are often full of energy and as a result, they can be quite restless. Mobile phones or tablets are generally allowed to keep them distracted until their food arrives. But a lot of aware parents these days don�t want their child to constantly stare at their electronic devices. Parents welcome the idea of having a separate area for children, where they can play and get along with other children. Besides, no parent these days, especially in Nepal, will go to dine out with their significant other without their child. It is a tough task for parents to constantly monitor their children even on their day off. Distractions such as toys, puzzles, coloring books,board games, easy ball games, monkey climb, etc. can help improve the dining experience for everyone involved. Needless to say, parents are more likely to visit those establishments frequently once they know how kid-friendly the place is.
The Menu
A big part of any dining experience is the food. No matter the age, anyone and everyone likes to eat well, children included. Any ordinary food would pass on as children�s food these days. A lot of children look up to their parents and maybe eat the way as they do too. But, we are talking about a very few here.A general lack of creativity or laziness comes into play when serving children. Kids like pizzas and burgers these days more than any other types of food and that is mainly because they don�t have much to choose from. If children are to be served pizza and burgers, maybe a slight change in appearance can help make the food more appealing in the eyes of the children. Drifting away from pizza and burgers, a separate menu for children should be readily available in a family restaurant with innovative takes on food. These menu cards should also contain healthier food options than usual. Decorating the menu cards in popular cartoons or drawings engulfs the child with excitement.A visually well prepared dish plays a crucial part in deciding if a dish is worth spending money on. Further, parents would be�comfortable and encouraged to bring in their wards in such restaurants as they do not have to bother much about child health issues which may arise due to eating habit.
The Service
The secret behind any successful establishment is the kind of service they provide. Quality service goes a long way in making the dining experience a memorable one. Though the children do not care about the service provided, their parents will play a big part in deciding if the restaurant is worth visiting again based on the quality of service provide. Servers are well trained to deal with adults. They should also be trained to handle children of all age groups. It should be well informed that children are after all customers too. Accommodate families in a larger table so they have enough space to store all their belongings.Your restaurant staff should primarily learn to respect kids as an individual, or the whole �kids-friendly� concept makes absolutely no sense, if the waiter is impatient or in the worst case rude to kids. Train your staff how to behave with your little guests and time will tell whether they are doing their job properly or not.Servers should also have the patience to deal with children. Service should be swift and the child�s food should be brought out first to avoid any difficulties later.
Besides the above mentioned points, various other offers and discounts should be implied for children. Organizing birthday partiesand happy hours for kids are a few things that could be a good way to attract families.
Of all things in the restaurant business, catering specially to children is not looked upon as important. Once a few establishments start following this concept vigorously. Implementing this system will take time and a lot of effort. But with enough patience and the right attitude, a family-friendly restaurant or a kids-friendly will be seen throughout the country.
Nepali restaurateurs are focused on the youth and working professionals because they bring in more money than families. This is true, but children shouldn�t be overlooked because of an investment issue. They will bring in equal amounts of profits, if not more, like the adults. Restaurateurs are gladly willing to swap a dedicated children�s area for an extra few tables. Only a handful of establishments in the country that implement a system where the children are as equally involved in their dining experience as the adults.
New restaurants open up with complex and innovative menus for the newer generations and somewhere between all this they seem to forget that a small group of their customers are little children too. It is ultimately up to the restaurants to decide if they want to create a separate children�s menu but before they decide not to they should know that the children are actually a major force in driving their parents to establishments that the parents wouldn�t necessarily visit.
Here in the country, very few restaurants have a separate menu for children and most of them that do, only have smaller portions of burgers or pizzas or fries.Despite the lack of a children�s menu, so of those restaurants that deem themselves kid-friendly seem to have a separate area for children to play and interact with other children.
The kid�s menu has been widely followed around the world for quite some time now, and we are left behind. A reason for this concept not being as popular as other countries may be due to the fact that it is still very new in the country.Very Few Nepali families with little kids dine out with their kids. There are various reasons for the families not to include their children in their dining experience, but the major one is the inconvenience they face in the restaurant facility and the amount of attention they have put for their children rather than enjoying the meal. Further, Nepali restaurateurs are visibly hesitating to open a dedicated section in their establishments for children. They may see it as a larger investment that will not pay-off as quickly as they would have liked. This for sure, in case the restaurateurs start giving thought in creating a little more comfortable environment for the families, more families tend to dine out there by create environment of return on their investment in making an establishment kid-friendly.
Another reason is the lack of creativity that comes into play when serving children. Children like pizza and burgers these days more than any other types of food and that is mainly because they don�t have much to choose from. If children are to be served pizza and burgers, maybe a slight change in appearance can help make the food more appealing in the eyes of the children. Drifting away from pizza and burgers, a separate menu for children should be readily available in a family restaurant with innovative takes on food that would be equal parts tasty, attractive and healthy.
The term family restaurant is widely seen in the country. How many of them are actually family-friendly? Next to none. The idea of a family or kid-friendly restaurant in the country means no loud music and no smoking inside the premises.As mentioned earlier, Nepal has very few kid-friendly restaurants. Though there are plenty to choose from when it comes to family restaurants, children seem to be out of the equation when it comes to serving food and the overall feel of the place. There will be no signs of anything remotely related to children in a family restaurant other than free Wi-Fi which can keep the children hooked in the net or their favorite games until their food arrives.
Here are a few reasons why implementing a children�s menu can be beneficial to an establishment:
Increased Profits
If someone claimed a decade or so back that welcoming more children to a restaurant would increase profits, it would be laughable. But that is not the case anymore. A global trend that many families follow these days is dining out. Nepal is in the path of catching on to this trend. It is quite evident that many families�children are strongly influenced by the habits of their parents. Because parents often decide to eat where their little ones feel comfortable, happy and better cared of.Further, families with children often do not stay for a long in the restaurant &a table is freed up as fast as it was filled.
Marketability
As establishment grows, so does its reputation amongst peers and customers alike. A successful restaurant ensures that even when the rest of their competition is struggling to attract customers, they will not have any problems doing the same. A more popular establishment sees and influx of customers regardless of their prices, given they maintain their standards. This also opens the door for future investments and other possible expansions that help grow the brand. Opening a child-friendly restaurant is indeed a challenging one but definitely rewarding too, but it�s just that few things should be kept in mind focusing on the children�s basic need and desires.
Children Arena
Children are often full of energy and as a result, they can be quite restless. Mobile phones or tablets are generally allowed to keep them distracted until their food arrives. But a lot of aware parents these days don�t want their child to constantly stare at their electronic devices. Parents welcome the idea of having a separate area for children, where they can play and get along with other children. Besides, no parent these days, especially in Nepal, will go to dine out with their significant other without their child. It is a tough task for parents to constantly monitor their children even on their day off. Distractions such as toys, puzzles, coloring books,board games, easy ball games, monkey climb, etc. can help improve the dining experience for everyone involved. Needless to say, parents are more likely to visit those establishments frequently once they know how kid-friendly the place is.
The Menu
A big part of any dining experience is the food. No matter the age, anyone and everyone likes to eat well, children included. Any ordinary food would pass on as children�s food these days. A lot of children look up to their parents and maybe eat the way as they do too. But, we are talking about a very few here.A general lack of creativity or laziness comes into play when serving children. Kids like pizzas and burgers these days more than any other types of food and that is mainly because they don�t have much to choose from. If children are to be served pizza and burgers, maybe a slight change in appearance can help make the food more appealing in the eyes of the children. Drifting away from pizza and burgers, a separate menu for children should be readily available in a family restaurant with innovative takes on food. These menu cards should also contain healthier food options than usual. Decorating the menu cards in popular cartoons or drawings engulfs the child with excitement.A visually well prepared dish plays a crucial part in deciding if a dish is worth spending money on. Further, parents would be�comfortable and encouraged to bring in their wards in such restaurants as they do not have to bother much about child health issues which may arise due to eating habit.
The Service
The secret behind any successful establishment is the kind of service they provide. Quality service goes a long way in making the dining experience a memorable one. Though the children do not care about the service provided, their parents will play a big part in deciding if the restaurant is worth visiting again based on the quality of service provide. Servers are well trained to deal with adults. They should also be trained to handle children of all age groups. It should be well informed that children are after all customers too. Accommodate families in a larger table so they have enough space to store all their belongings.Your restaurant staff should primarily learn to respect kids as an individual, or the whole �kids-friendly� concept makes absolutely no sense, if the waiter is impatient or in the worst case rude to kids. Train your staff how to behave with your little guests and time will tell whether they are doing their job properly or not.Servers should also have the patience to deal with children. Service should be swift and the child�s food should be brought out first to avoid any difficulties later.
Besides the above mentioned points, various other offers and discounts should be implied for children. Organizing birthday partiesand happy hours for kids are a few things that could be a good way to attract families.
Of all things in the restaurant business, catering specially to children is not looked upon as important. Once a few establishments start following this concept vigorously. Implementing this system will take time and a lot of effort. But with enough patience and the right attitude, a family-friendly restaurant or a kids-friendly will be seen throughout the country.
