Effective Restaurant Marketing Idea #9

Walt Disney said: "Create a place where children want to go and the adults will follow."

McDonald's, Burger King and other fast food operations traditionally do an excellent job at catering to children. It has been said that when McDonald's added the indoor playground to their Restaurants that sales increased a minimum of 20%.

Disneyland and Disney World charge a lot of money just to get into the park. But, you know what? They can get it because they deliver the experience that people want. When this happens ... when people do get the experience they want, they will make the exception and pay for the experience.

If your Restaurant can determine what it is they need to do to create an experience for the children, the adults will come along with them. The parents need to feel comfortable, but if you are going after the Family Market and you create the bond with the children, then you have the Family Market.

You need to be very sensitive to the needs of the children. Even in the very best families, children will act up. You need to have a pre-planned method for handling this. You need to help the parents out. (Always ask permission to do anything with their children.) You might give the children a "quiet book" OR a tour of the Restaurant. If hunger is the problem, you might want ti give the children crackers, OR vegetables OR fruit of some kind.

If you've raised your own children, you know that even the best-manner children sometimes cry or get upset. Any child could have a bad day. You might also have children's games and/or toys OR a coloring book with crayons. If you are sensitive to the needs of the children, the parents are going to have a good time. Another good idea is to give the children a tour of the Restaurant.

If you are children-friendly, I can assure you that the children will become an advertiser for your Restaurant.

Have Family Nights -

Have Children's Entertainment -

Have Diaper-Changing Tables in the Rest Rooms -

In Portland Oregon, there is a Restaurant called "The Old Wives' Tales." It is children-friendly. The owner of the Restaurant, Holly Hart, created a playroom for children because she thought it was difficult for parents to dine out at a full-service Restaurant with children.

The children's playroom contains three boats, a train, a tunnel for kids to climb in, over, around and through. With murals of a seascape on the walls, the playroom is about 130 square feet.

The Restaurant has redefined the eating-out experience for parents, and has kept the focus on the children. As soon as the family is seated, the Server brings some orange slices for children and extra napkins. The Old Wives' Tale has a very unique selling proposition (USP) - children and family entertainment. They have build a loyal Customer base that continues to eat there after their kids have grown up. The business is twenty years old and does about two million a year in sales.

The drawbacks? The playroom takes up the space of about twenty revenue generating seats and the Customers stay about twice as long since their kids are playing and having fun.