6 chains winning with Hispanic families

Hispanic diners are increasingly placing importance on all aspects of the kids menu at restaurants, from variety to healthfulness to kid-appeal, new Technomic data shows. Restaurants hoping to win over this growing demographic’s dining dollars may want to distinguish their kids or family dining programs from the competition.

Hispanic customers who recently dined out with children younger than 18 years old rated their favorite restaurant chains in a Technomic Consumer Brand Metrics survey. Scores are based on the percentage of recent customers who ranked the chain as excellent overall on a variety of attributes. Here are the brands currently winning Hispanic family-dining occasions, ranked from fifth to first.
 

Score: 57.8%

Ranking as fifth favorite among Hispanics dining with their children, this tropical-chicken chain lists both kids and family meals on its menu. Pollo Tropical’s kids menu features such items as a chicken-topped rice bowl or mashed potato bowl. Family meals come with a whole grilled chicken, four rolls and customizable sides and sauces, with additional proteins available for an extra charge. 
 

Score: 57.8%

This grab-and-go pizza chain tied Pollo Tropical as the fifth favorite chain among Hispanic consumers eating with children. Although Little Caesars does not offer a specific kids menu, it touts competitive industry pricing and family-sized meal portions.

For example, the chain launched a limited-time $5 menu this January, featuring a large classic-style pizza, Caesar wings, four 20-ounce sodas and family-sized portions of Bacon Cheddar Crazy Bites or Cinnamon Loaded Crazy Bites for $5 each. 

Score: 59.3%

Three-fifths of recent Hispanic customers dining with their children gave Denny’s a great overall score. The family-dining chain is known for marketing to the Hispanic community with Spanish-language ads, websites and social media pages. Denny’s also regularly offers kid-friendly meal deals, such as the free pancakes for kids promotion it ran last September. Its extensive kids menu offers items for all dayparts, such as the new Jr. Birthday Cake Pancake Breakfast, the new grilled chicken on a stick and the staple dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets.
 

Score: 65.2%

Nearly two-thirds of Hispanic diners that visited this fast-casual chicken-wing chain with their kids gave it top marks. Wingstop offers family packs like the Double Pack, which features 20 classic or boneless wings, two regular fry orders, two regular wing dips and two 20-ounce beverages. It also offers a variety of customizable Wing Family Packs with mix-and-match side dishes and sauces.
 

Score: 67.2%

Over two-thirds of Hispanic diners who recently visited Pollo Campero with their kids gave the chicken chain excellent overall marks. Specializing in Latin chicken with bold flavors, this chain offers a few different meals with chicken pieces, sides and beverages on its kids menu. Pollo Campero also promotes its catering program for family occasions.
 

Score: 87.3%

The number one chain that Hispanic consumers give high marks to while dining out with their children doesn’t even have a kids menu—but it does specialize in kid-friendly burgers, fries and shakes for a low price. With a score of 87.3%, In-N-Out Burger is sweeping the competition for Hispanic family dining occasions. This chain has also been doing more in the past year to enhance its health perception, such as removing from its beef supply cows that are routinely treated with antibiotics.