Bringing The Families In

Many families are feeling the pinch in their pocketbooks and are cutting back on dining out in today’s suffering economy. It is interesting to see what changes some family friendly restaurants are doing to bring customers in and keep them coming back for more.

Many restaurants and Food Retailers around the United States are offering specials that are enticing customers to come in and dine. You will find that many family friendly restaurants, steak houses and even some Quick Service Restaurants are offering families a way to save a quick buck.

The “kids eat free” meal deals have become a huge hit with consumers. This food trends, usually offered on a specific day of the week, kids can eat free when an adult meal is ordered. These free kids meals are usually offered to the 12 and under crowd only. For families with children, this can be a huge incentive to enjoy dining out, even if it is during the week. A friend of mine recently went with a group of 4 families to a local restaurant. To their great surprise, all 12 of the children ate free because it was a Sunday. That example is extreme and probably not very cost effective to the restaurant in question.

Bob Evans recently reported that they are changing their dining format to build the frequency of visits among light and moderate users.

Catering mostly to young adults and young families, Bob Evans is offering appetizers for the first time in their history. Each restaurant across the United States will be equipped with wireless connections as well. They are also trying a new prototype restaurant in Ohio this coming August. The “eat in kitchen” will feature WiFi connection, a flat screen television, and a common table to give the restaurant that “eating at home” type of feeling.

If you are looking for new ideas to bring families into your restaurant; contact an experienced food service consultant.