Creative Ways to Engage Kids and Keep Them Entertained at Your Restaurant

It's a battle both restaurant owners and parents fight - keeping kids entertained at a restaurant. As a restaurant owner, you know this is a battle best fought on a united front with parents. The following are fun and creative ideas that will make dining at your restaurant with the kids a much more pleasant experience for everyone:

Kid-Friendly Menus

Offering colorful, activity-packed kids placemat menus is a great place to start to keep kids entertained. Kid menus can be customized to match the theme of your restaurant and can include a wide range of games including tic-tac-toe, word finds, mazes, word scrambles and more. Don't forget to offer a pack of crayons, as well.

Sophisticated Menu Choices

Sophisticated might not be a word most people would associate with children's menu choices but increasingly, parents are expecting restaurants to offer something beyond nuggets and fries for the 12-and-under set. Restaurants are responding to parents' requests for healthier, more interesting options for their kids to try out.

Consider offering smaller versions of regular menu items to add variety to an otherwise ho-hum kid's menu. In this way, kids feel more engaged with their food and with the overall dining experience.

What are some ways you keep kids entertained at your restaurant? Let us know in the comments below!