Ball pits and chicken nuggets aren’t enough to motivate many of today’s parents to visit a restaurant with their kids—even though that was the jam for these millennial and Gen Z parents when they were kids.
Restaurants are catching on, upgrading children’s menus to appeal to parents without turning off the kids. Fast casuals and full-service concepts are targeting the whole family, adding incentives that take the stress out of mealtime. They’re tying into cause marketing and values that both generations can get behind and meeting the demand for customization and on-trend flavors.
“Parents of young children are juggling so many things around mealtimes,” said Jennifer Lally, VP of marketing at Just Salad. “We streamline the dining experience by making it convenient for parents and children to have healthy and delicious options in one stop.”
Last October, Just Salad introduced its first kids’ menu at all 80 locations, created in collaboration with Sesame Street Workshop. The food, all taste-tested by young palates, includes avocado toast, salads, rice-and-chicken bowls and oat milk smoothies, all packed with kid-friendly veggies and fruits like corn, apples, carrots and dried cranberries.
Convenience, affordability, ease of execution and better-for-you choices are the shared goals of restaurants with recently launched kids’ menus. And it’s becoming popular to send out an educational or humanitarian message along with the food.
A two-generation lure
“We talked to a lot of customers who requested a kids’ menu,” said Lally, “and we decided to make it playful as well as nutritious. Sesame Street is a beloved and iconic brand, and our menu encourages engagement and brings together positive educational messages and healthy eating.”
But Just Salad didn’t stop at simply labeling items with names like Elmo’s Avo Toast or Me Want Caesar. This month, the New York City-based chain rolled out a line of Sesame Street-themed reusable bowls—this initiative targeted to sustainability-minded parents. “It’s bit of nostalgia for parents and an opportunity for them to discuss reuse in a fun way with their kids,” said Lally. A downsized Elmo bowl is geared to smaller customers.
Just Salad partnered with Sesame Street on a new kids’ menu and line of reusable bowls that provide a teachable moment. | Photo courtesy of Just Salad
Most children’s menus are targeted to the under-12 set, the younger cohort in what demographers call “Gen Alpha” or those born after 2005. Like Gen Z before them, this is an environmentally conscious generation of kids, according to Washington, D.C.-based Youth Marketing Connection. They may not know what the word “sustainable” means but it’s already part of their mindset. Just Salad introduced reusable bowls for customers back in 2006 when the chain started, so the Sesame Street collection is its way of building eco-awareness in the next generation
Orlando, Florida-based Island Fin Poke rolled out a Signature Kids Bowl in February, in tandem with a Signature Family Meal Deal, again aimed at both parents and kids. “We previously introduced $11 signature bowls for adults, which was a smaller two-scoop meal featuring raw fish,” said Mark Setterington, CEO and founder of Island Fin, referring to the serving of protein and base. A regular three-scoop Island Fin bowl is $15.
Although older children often opted for that two-scoop deal, a franchisee requested a curated kids’ bowl at the gentler price of $7. The result is the new Signature Kids Bowl, which includes a choice of base (white or brown rice or spring mix), one scoop of grilled chicken, edamame, corn, Wicked Wahine sauce, cucumbers and crispy wonton strips.
The Signature Kids Bowl at Island Fin Poke was kid-tested before it made its debut. | Photo courtesy of Island Fin
“We invited kids into the restaurant to taste the combinations,” said Setterington. “We tried chicken marinated in different ingredients, including soy and ponzu, and different sauces, but they liked the Wicked Wahine the best. It’s made with palm sugar and is more sweet than spicy.”
Also aware of families being pulled in several directions around dinnertime, Island Fin’s $45 Signature Family Meal Deal offers a convenient, healthy option at a very affordable price. The package includes two Signature Kids Bowls, two Signature Bowls with adult portions, two Dole Soft Serves and four fountain drinks. “Parents don’t have to plan or think,” said Setterington. “They can order on the app and for $45, have dinner.”
Setterington reports that every one of Island Fin Poke’s 23 restaurants did double digits in sales growth when the family deal rolled out last month, and the company store in Orlando sold 180 kids’ bowls in a month.
Driving Gen Alpha
“Family-friendly pricing” was also a priority for Legal Sea Foods when the casual-dining chain refreshed its kids’ menu last month, said Matt King, brand president and COO.
“The new menu structures meals into a ‘first bite’ (starters), main dish and two sides that kids can customize to their preferences. Along with more choices, the revamp reduced kids' meal prices on average, making dining out a little easier on families and their wallets,” he said.
Affordability and variety were priorities for the kids’ menu refresh at Legal Sea Foods.| Photo courtesy of Legal Sea Foods
Previously, kids’ entrees were mostly in the $12-$15 range, with Fish and Chips at the lower end, Grilled Salmon at $12 and Grilled Steak Tips, $15. Now the price is $9 for children under 12 for most of the multi-course meals. A starter may be a fruit cup or carrot sticks, followed by Popcorn Shrimp or Fish Fingers accompanied by rice pilaf, seasonal veggies, french fries and several more side choices. Under the “Simply Grilled” entrée section, salmon gets a $2 surcharge and beef tenderloin, $3.
Not only are today’s parents watching their wallets, Gen Alpha kids are counting their pennies, too, especially as they get older. According to Technomic research, “this meal is affordable” is the top consideration or attribute for 14-17 year-old Gen Alphas when ordering food at a restaurant. Ditto for parents of kids in the 5-13 age group.
“The children’s Simply Grilled Salmon and fried Fish Fingers are the two most popular seafood items on the kids’ menu,” said King. “The way we prepare our fish is quite simple, as we grill it with simple seasoning or fry it with a light batter, offering kids’ healthy choices. And since every item has a choice of two sides and one starter, kids have the option to really customize their order to their preferences.”
Technomic’s survey of Gen Alpha also reveals customization as a Top 5 attribute, although parents who love to customize don’t consider it a priority for their kids. Philadelphia-based honeygrow, a fast casual that focuses on customization, wins with both generations.
Honeygrow’s main menu focuses on stir-fry bowls and salads, and about a year-and-a-half ago, the 41-unit chain introduced a kids’ menu. “Post-pandemic, we started focusing our growth on the suburbs and families with children became a big part of our customer base,” said Amy DePaoli, director of marketing for honeygrow. “We thought it was a good time to launch a kids’ menu.”
As a mother of young kids herself, DePaoli also cites the convenience factor. “On busy nights, it’s great to go to one restaurant that has something for every member of the family to be well-fed and satisfied,” she said.
Gen Alpha loves customization, and honeygrow’s CYO (Create Your Own) Stir-Fry allows kids to orchestrate their meal. | Photo courtesy of Honeygrow
Currently, honeygrow offers two set choices for children under 12: Tomato Basil Stir-Fry made with turkey meatballs over egg white noodles ($9) and Garlic Butter + Parm ($8), the same noodles tossed in garlic-butter sauce and finished with shaved Parmesan.
“But the CYO (Create Your Own) Stir-Fry is our best seller,” said DePaoli. “Kids have fun experimenting and seeing how the flavors work together. Plus, they like orchestrating the meal, requesting the addition of vegetables and specific sauces and quantities, then watching as the ingredients are stir-fried in the wok.”
Whole wheat noodles, fresh vegetables and lean proteins steer the CYO in a healthy direction. And it’s proven that kids who have a hand in preparing their food are more likely to eat it, DePaoli added.
The portions are smaller than regular adult stir-fries and salads and the choices are slightly more limited, which keeps the price down to a base of $8. It can go up a little depending on the protein and garnishes the child chooses. Every kids’ meal includes a drink and grapes.
Some of the motivation for the new kids’ menu came from honeygrow founder and CEO Justin Rosenberg. “From personal experience with my own kids, I have developed a pretty good understanding of the picky palate landscape. I wanted to create a menu that would address those needs and deliver the nutritive qualities we are known for,” he said in a statement. Rosenberg’s three children, now 14, 11 and 8, tested the recipes at home.
Honeygrow is also aligning with families’ values through its partnership with Team IMPACT, a nonprofit that pairs kids diagnosed with long-term illness with college athletes. A dollar from the sale of every kids’ meal goes to Team IMPACT, and feedback shows that young guests and their parents relate to the cause. “Team IMPACT is a smaller and growing organization, just like honeygrow,” said DePaoli.
Guests have another shot at customization at the honeybars, a dessert and snack bar set up in the restaurants. There’s a choice of yogurt or cheesecake filling as a base, with toppings like roasted apples, streusel crumble, granola, seasonal fruit and a variety of honeys. “Kids and teens are big honeybar customers,” said DePaoli.
Younger customers often use the honeybars to satisfy a snack craving or create a lighter lunch or dinner. Technomic has been tracking an increase in snacking among Gen Alpha consumers, and more restaurants are developing snack options to meet the demand.
On the fine-dining front
Upscale restaurants usually don’t have affordability and convenience in their favor, but these spots attract families during vacations and on special occasions. Plus, the menus often offer whimsical touches along with the food.
At Space 220 Restaurant at Walt Disney World in Orlando, operated by Patina Restaurant Group, the kids’ menu is a prix fixe $35 for three courses for children under age nine. But the names of the dishes give young guests a heaping portion of fantasy along with their meal.
There are Mozzarella Moons, Mission Macaroni (mac and cheese), Galactic Salmon (grilled with mashed potatoes and broccoli) and a Cosmic Cupcake for dessert. “Mozzarella Moons are our interstellar take on fried cheese sticks and the grilled steak with buttered carrots comes with Space Fries,” said Seth Rose, VP of strategic partnerships for Patina Restaurant Group Orlando. The steak, grilled salmon and Smashed Burger are all new items to keep the menu fresh and interesting, he added.
At Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs, the menu gets a little more adventurous. “One of the favorites is the Bao Wow, a hot dog in a bao bun with kewpie mayo, sweet sauce, cucumber and lettuce,” said Rose. There’s also a Mini Ramen bowl and Lo Mein, along with Boba Tea to drink, in keeping with the Pan-Asian theme.
Upscale Morimoto offers a Pan-Asian variation on a hot dog called a Bao Wow. | Photo courtesy of Morimoto Asia
Sustainability is part of the menu messaging, too. Patina Group’s Orlando restaurants work with local farmers to source ingredients and “we also do various seasonal sustainability initiatives, including a recent Earth Day activation where we offered free plantable drink coasters embedded with flower seeds,” said Rose. “The initiative promoted sustainability, as the coasters were environmentally friendly, and were just a fun takeaway for guests.”
Speaking of giveaways, are happy meal toys and activity books still around? While they are still a lure at many fast-food and lower-end restaurants, do kids get any swag with their $35 meal?
“Those who order kids’ meal items at Space 220 go home with a free pack of collectible Space 220 Trading Cards,” said Rose.