Restaurant Business Magazine Article on Play for profit

Play For Profit

By Katherine Fotiu

jumping castle A child-friendly restaurant venture requires a holistic approach which facilitates enjoyable dining experiences for both children and parents.

Although good food may be the core aspect of the business, many more factors are integral to success when appealing to this market. The restaurant environment should offer children a “fun” experience while simultaneously accommodating adults. “The entire value chain must be considered, from the marketing material which informs the guest’s brand expectation to the time they leave the restaurant,” says Sacha du Plessis, Marketing Director of Spur.

Trend of child-friendly restaurants
These days it is common for restaurants which target the family market to provide various types of play areas for children.
The article, “Restaurants and Eatertainment”, featured on www.whitehutchinson,com/leisure/eatertainment.shtml, states, “In the mid-1980s, an independent Burger King restaurant added a small soft-modular-play unit to the outside of its restaurant. Sales dramatically increased. Thus began what has become a major trend of adding children’s play and entertainment areas to quick service restaurants.”

Greg Solomon, MD of McDonald’s South Africa, says that, for McDonald’s, the trend originated in the United States and Europe. McDonald’s currently operates in 118 countries around the world. “While there remains a common thread on safety specifications and standards, customisation and localisation is evident in each country,” says Solomon.

He adds that the future child-friendly designs are evolving from all corners of the world, from the United States of America to places such as China and Hong Kong. “Best practices and ideas are shared in McDonald’s and replicated into other markets.”
The popularity of child-friendly restaurants overseas did not influence Spur’s decision to focus on the family friendly market. “Our family friendly strategy has been part of our DNA since inception in1967,” says du Plessis.

The Basics

Introducing a child-friendly concept to a restaurant may involve a number of adjustments. Lorri Mealey (http://restaurants.about.com/od/decidingontheconcept/tp/ChildFriendly.htm) suggests:

Décor: This should be bright, cheerful and casual. Incorporate materials which will take spills and knocks, such as woods, leather and vinyl, heavy-duty carpeting, tile and other easy to clean surfaces.

Menu: Offer portions which are appropriate for children and adjust prices accordingly. Select easy to prepare children’s meals and use a separate menu for children if you do not wish to have these items appear on the regular adult menu.

Seating: Provide high chairs and booster seats.

Accessibility – Where possible, allow for easy stroller access by incorporating ramps into the design of the restaurant. Try not to have steps as the only option for access.

Offer activities which appeal to children e.g. crayons, colouring books and crafts.

Ambience: Play child-friendly music or television.

Promote with child-friendly partners. These could be nearby child-attractions and businesses such as bookstores, toy stores and children’s clothing and shoe stores.

Restrooms: Provide a changing table in both male and female restrooms.

Facilities

An effective combination of child-friendly facilities ensures safety while providing amusement for children in a convenient setting for parents.

McDonald’s offers many special features to its children customers such as the “play place,” known to many South Africans as a Jungle Gym. Its type of design and functionality was first introduced to the South African market by McDonald’s.

Specialised high chairs for children aged two to four are available in McDonald’s restaurants, as well as infant chairs for children who are much younger. Strong parental monitoring, however, is always promoted and encouraged.

Many McDonald’s establishments have designated “Party Rooms” or party areas. Used primarily for parties, they offer a controlled space which often has lower chairs and tables. Being more child-friendly in design, these areas cater to different needs.
Mugg & Bean Broadacres offers various activities and attractions which appeal to children, including an indoor play area, jungle gym, pet zoo, jumping castle and aviary.

All Spur Steak ranches, excluding airport restaurants, have a children’s Play Canyon. Du Plessis describes this as “an area where kids can play the latest Play Station games, jump on a trampoline, have their face painted, colour in, climb through tunnels and just enjoy the freedom of being kids.”

Baby changing facilities are an essential feature of restaurants which attract families. Solomon points out that in all McDonald’s restaurants, both mothers and fathers have access to baby changing stations.

Slightly lowered urinals are also available in the restrooms of many McDonald’s restaurants. Solomon stresses the importance of parental assistance in the restrooms.

Safety

Safety should be a fundamental aspect of the design and operation of any child-friendly restaurant.
“All Play Canyons have a trained Play Canyon attendant to ensure the area remains safe, fun and enjoyable for all children,” says du Plessis.
The design of a child-friendly restaurant should be devoid of potentially hazardous aspects such as sharp edges and hard slippery surfaces. “Play areas must be specifically designed for kids,” du Plessis adds.

“There are many finer points and designs to consider when designing or creating a child-friendly restaurant,” says Solomon. McDonald’s focuses on safety and encourages parent supervision, placing importance on an easy observation position for the parents.

McDonald’s also employs hosts/hostesses, or restaurant lobby representatives, whose role is to create a subtle presence in the dining rooms, adding an element of passive supervision.

Solomon provides examples of attention to detail in the design of McDonald’s restaurants, which ensures a safe and child-friendly place:

Furniture is comfortable and safe to use.

The play place apparatus design has critical check points before installation. Apparatus being situated so that there is an appropriate distance from the walls and gaps between structure elements prevent children’s heads getting stuck or trapped.

The slope of the slides is calculated to prevent injuries.

Climbing mechanisms which do not include ladders are used to decrease the risk of falling.

No wood is used as splinters can result in injuries.

Only cleaning detergent suitable for children’s playground apparatus is used.

Gas hinges on doors are used to ensure that they close slowly and are difficult to open. This prevents children’s feet being caught as doors close.

Basic operational procedures are followed such as being vigilant about signposting when floors are wet.

In Solomon’s 15 years with MacDonald’s, he has encountered no major incidents in which children have been seriously injured at a McDonald’s Play Place. As a further internal precaution McDonald’s provides First Aid training to its managers, which allows for any minor sprains, cuts or bruises to be addressed quickly and efficiently.

Paul Economou, Mugg & Bean Broadacres franchisor, stresses the importance of easily visible disclaimers. These ensure that, while the restaurant does its utmost to provide a safe space for children, they are ultimately their parents’ responsibility.

Atmosphere

“Spur creates an atmosphere which allows the child to escape on an adventure,” says Du Plessis. “The experience is most important in the delivery of this atmosphere; it is one of freedom, friendly staff and generous great tasting portions of food.”
In Solomon’s opinion, children bring a sense of fun and excitement to a restaurant which is handled and designed correctly. McDonald’s caters to a wide variety of age groups by offering different zones.
He believes that the free spirit of McDonald’s children customers is most often contagious and sets the mood in its restaurants together with other special chosen enhancements such as lighting, style of music, seating and even art on the walls.

The balancing act

A skilful balance between amusing children and pleasing their parents is evident in lucrative child-friendly businesses. Happy, occupied children mean satisfied parents.
McDonald’s creates a safe haven for children in its family restaurants as well as a comfortable environment for parents and other adults. “It is important to stay relevant and evolve with the times,” Solomon says.
A child-friendly building or restaurant design should aim to accommodate the different needs all family members. For example, many McDonald’s restaurants now have spacious 12-seater tables for large families.
Du Plessis says that managing customer expectations is necessary to achieve the balance in a child-friendly restaurant. “For example, on a Saturday morning most customers understand that kids’ parties will be taking place and expect the environment will be younger and more energetic.”
Economou believes that the art of operating a child-friendly restaurant is never perfected, as one continuously learns from experience.

Promotion

An article entitled “Bringing Families to your Restaurant” identifies promotions which satisfy both children and parents as the key to successfully targeting the family market. For example, a restaurant could offer free toys, lollipops or stickers with children’s meals or puzzles on the packaging.

Specially designed promotional items can serve a dual purpose of drawing business and keeping children occupied at the tables.
Dan Toombs suggests balloons, handheld windmills and crayons and pencils. Instead of ordering colouring books, many restaurants design their own children’s menus, incorporating fun characters which can be coloured in while waiting for meals.

Alternatively, he says, a good selection of colouring books personalised with a restaurant logo can be offered. These can be taken home by the children.

Perks such as free or discounted food and beverage items for children encourage repeat business. Children, who join Spur’s “Secret Tribe,” for example, obtain a free soda on every visit to Spur and a Spur voucher on their birthday.

National competitions, in which children can win prizes from Spur, are run twice a year.

In order for a child-friendly foodservice establishment to thrive, a restaurateur needs to create an experience around his or her customers’ unique needs. A profitable child-friendly business is one which delights its young customers and makes them feel special.

Restaurant Business Magazine is a trade magazine for people in the Restaurant and Catering industries.

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Play For Profit By Katherine Fotiu A child-friendly restaurant venture requires a holistic approach which facilitates enjoyable dining experiences for both children and parents. Although good food may be the core aspect of the business, many more factors are integral to success when appealing to this market. The restaurant environment should offer children a “fun” experience while simultaneously accommodating adults. “The entire value chain must be considered, from the marketing material which informs the guest’s brand expectation to the time they leave the restaurant,” says Sacha du Plessis, Marketing Director of Spur. Trend of child-friendly restaurants These days it is common for restaurants which target the family market to provide various types of play areas for children. The article, “Restaurants and Eatertainment”, featured on www.whitehutchinson,com/leisure/eatertainment.shtml, states, “In the mid-1980s, an independent Burger King restaurant added a small soft-modular-play unit to the outside of its restaurant. Sales dramatically increased. Thus began what has become a major trend of adding children’s play and entertainment areas to quick service restaurants.” Greg Solomon, MD of McDonald’s South Africa, says that, for McDonald’s, the trend originated in the United States and Europe. McDonald’s currently operates in 118 countries around the world. “While there remains a common thread on safety specifications and standards, customisation and localisation is evident in each country,” says Solomon. He adds that the future child-friendly designs are evolving from all corners of the world, from the United States of America to places such as China and Hong Kong. “Best practices and ideas are shared in McDonald’s and replicated into other markets.” The popularity of child-friendly restaurants overseas did not influence Spur’s decision to focus on the family friendly market. “Our family friendly strategy has been part of our DNA since inception in1967,” says du Plessis. The Basics Introducing a child-friendly concept to a restaurant may involve a number of adjustments. Lorri Mealey (http://restaurants.about.com/od/decidingontheconcept/tp/ChildFriendly.htm) suggests: Décor: This should be bright, cheerful and casual. Incorporate materials which will take spills and knocks, such as woods, leather and vinyl, heavy-duty carpeting, tile and other easy to clean surfaces. Menu: Offer portions which are appropriate for children and adjust prices accordingly. Select easy to prepare children’s meals and use a separate menu for children if you do not wish to have these items appear on the regular adult menu. Seating: Provide high chairs and booster seats. Accessibility – Where possible, allow for easy stroller access by incorporating ramps into the design of the restaurant. Try not to have steps as the only option for access. Offer activities which appeal to children e.g. crayons, colouring books and crafts. Ambience: Play child-friendly music or television. Promote with child-friendly partners. These could be nearby child-attractions and businesses such as bookstores, toy stores and children’s clothing and shoe stores. Restrooms: Provide a changing table in both male and female restrooms. Facilities An effective combination of child-friendly facilities ensures safety while providing amusement for children in a convenient setting for parents. McDonald’s offers many special features to its children customers such as the “play place,” known to many South Africans as a Jungle Gym. Its type of design and functionality was first introduced to the South African market by McDonald’s. Specialised high chairs for children aged two to four are available in McDonald’s restaurants, as well as infant chairs for children who are much younger. Strong parental monitoring, however, is always promoted and encouraged. Many McDonald’s establishments have designated “Party Rooms” or party areas. Used primarily for parties, they offer a controlled space which often has lower chairs and tables. Being more child-friendly in design, these areas cater to different needs. Mugg & Bean Broadacres offers various activities and attractions which appeal to children, including an indoor play area, jungle gym, pet zoo, jumping castle and aviary. All Spur Steak ranches, excluding airport restaurants, have a children’s Play Canyon. Du Plessis describes this as “an area where kids can play the latest Play Station games, jump on a trampoline, have their face painted, colour in, climb through tunnels and just enjoy the freedom of being kids.” Baby changing facilities are an essential feature of restaurants which attract families. Solomon points out that in all McDonald’s restaurants, both mothers and fathers have access to baby changing stations. Slightly lowered urinals are also available in the restrooms of many McDonald’s restaurants. Solomon stresses the importance of parental assistance in the restrooms. Safety Safety should be a fundamental aspect of the design and operation of any child-friendly restaurant. “All Play Canyons have a trained Play Canyon attendant to ensure the area remains safe, fun and enjoyable for all children,” says du Plessis. The design of a child-friendly restaurant should be devoid of potentially hazardous aspects such as sharp edges and hard slippery surfaces. “Play areas must be specifically designed for kids,” du Plessis adds. “There are many finer points and designs to consider when designing or creating a child-friendly restaurant,” says Solomon. McDonald’s focuses on safety and encourages parent supervision, placing importance on an easy observation position for the parents. McDonald’s also employs hosts/hostesses, or restaurant lobby representatives, whose role is to create a subtle presence in the dining rooms, adding an element of passive supervision. Solomon provides examples of attention to detail in the design of McDonald’s restaurants, which ensures a safe and child-friendly place: Furniture is comfortable and safe to use. The play place apparatus design has critical check points before installation. Apparatus being situated so that there is an appropriate distance from the walls and gaps between structure elements prevent children’s heads getting stuck or trapped. The slope of the slides is calculated to prevent injuries. Climbing mechanisms which do not include ladders are used to decrease the risk of falling. No wood is used as splinters can result in injuries. Only cleaning detergent suitable for children’s playground apparatus is used. Gas hinges on doors are used to ensure that they close slowly and are difficult to open. This prevents children’s feet being caught as doors close. Basic operational procedures are followed such as being vigilant about signposting when floors are wet. In Solomon’s 15 years with MacDonald’s, he has encountered no major incidents in which children have been seriously injured at a McDonald’s Play Place. As a further internal precaution McDonald’s provides First Aid training to its managers, which allows for any minor sprains, cuts or bruises to be addressed quickly and efficiently. Paul Economou, Mugg & Bean Broadacres franchisor, stresses the importance of easily visible disclaimers. These ensure that, while the restaurant does its utmost to provide a safe space for children, they are ultimately their parents’ responsibility. Atmosphere “Spur creates an atmosphere which allows the child to escape on an adventure,” says Du Plessis. “The experience is most important in the delivery of this atmosphere; it is one of freedom, friendly staff and generous great tasting portions of food.” In Solomon’s opinion, children bring a sense of fun and excitement to a restaurant which is handled and designed correctly. McDonald’s caters to a wide variety of age groups by offering different zones. He believes that the free spirit of McDonald’s children customers is most often contagious and sets the mood in its restaurants together with other special chosen enhancements such as lighting, style of music, seating and even art on the walls. The balancing act A skilful balance between amusing children and pleasing their parents is evident in lucrative child-friendly businesses. Happy, occupied children mean satisfied parents. McDonald’s creates a safe haven for children in its family restaurants as well as a comfortable environment for parents and other adults. “It is important to stay relevant and evolve with the times,” Solomon says. A child-friendly building or restaurant design should aim to accommodate the different needs all family members. For example, many McDonald’s restaurants now have spacious 12-seater tables for large families. Du Plessis says that managing customer expectations is necessary to achieve the balance in a child-friendly restaurant. “For example, on a Saturday morning most customers understand that kids’ parties will be taking place and expect the environment will be younger and more energetic.” Economou believes that the art of operating a child-friendly restaurant is never perfected, as one continuously learns from experience. Promotion An article entitled “Bringing Families to your Restaurant” identifies promotions which satisfy both children and parents as the key to successfully targeting the family market. For example, a restaurant could offer free toys, lollipops or stickers with children’s meals or puzzles on the packaging. Specially designed promotional items can serve a dual purpose of drawing business and keeping children occupied at the tables. Dan Toombs suggests balloons, handheld windmills and crayons and pencils. Instead of ordering colouring books, many restaurants design their own children’s menus, incorporating fun characters which can be coloured in while waiting for meals. Alternatively, he says, a good selection of colouring books personalised with a restaurant logo can be offered. These can be taken home by the children. Perks such as free or discounted food and beverage items for children encourage repeat business. Children, who join Spur’s “Secret Tribe,” for example, obtain a free soda on every visit to Spur and a Spur voucher on their birthday. National competitions, in which children can win prizes from Spur, are run twice a year. In order for a child-friendly foodservice establishment to thrive, a restaurateur needs to create an experience around his or her customers’ unique needs. A profitable child-friendly business is one which delights its young customers and makes them feel special.