How to Set Up a Kids Menu for Restaurants

Have you thought about creating a kids menu for your restaurant?

This is a very common demand from customers looking for a place to have a family meal and need options that cater to children's taste. Therefore, by offering a kids menu, you attract more customers and provide a great experience.

To learn how to set up a menu that kids will love, keep reading this article and check out our tips.

Why Offer a Kids Menu in Your Restaurant?

Children have different nutritional needs and food preferences than adults. Therefore, it's worth creating a kids menu – also known as a kids menu – to meet this demand.

This shows that your restaurant is truly concerned with providing a good dining experience – regardless of age group.

Moreover, having a menu specifically designed for children makes life much easier for parents or guardians. They won't need to ask to adapt menu items or have children eating poorly because they have no options.

This factor counts a lot in choosing a restaurant. Afinal, é a garantia de que as crianças vão poder escolher o que desejam, comer bem e aproveitar o momento.  

This way, the kids menu contributes to attracting families and expanding your customer base, plus the advantage of groups being larger and spending more, increasing your faturamento per table.

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11 Ideas of What to Include in the Kids Menu

A kids menu should offer healthy options appropriate for children's preferences. By betting on variety, you'll be able to meet various demands. Below are some suggestions for dishes to include on the kids menu:

1. Rice and Beans: A dish made with rice, beans, waffle fries, and a protein option (beef, chicken, fish, omelet) can be a wild card on the menu since it's part of most Brazilians' diet.
2. Mini Burgers: A miniature version of the classic hamburger is always a hit with kids. Serve with fries or raw vegetables for a healthy touch.
3. Pasta: A comfort food popular with children, pasta can be served with meatballs, cheese, and different sauces. It's a fail-safe choice.
4. Pizza: Offer pizzas with simple and delicious toppings, such as cheese, pepperoni, or ham.
5. Breaded Chicken: Crispy breaded chicken is an option that pleases most kids. Serve with ketchup or barbecue sauce.
6. Fun Sandwiches: Create sandwiches using colorful bread cut into fun shapes, such as stars or hearts. Add simple fillings, such as cheese, ham, and vegetables.
7. Mini Tacos: Mini tacos are a fun way to serve Mexican food to children. Fill the tortillas with ground beef, cheese, and vegetables.
8. Breaded Fish Sticks: A common option in seafood restaurants, fish sticks are easy to eat and have no bones.
9. Meatballs: They are popular with kids and can be served with different types of sauce.
10. Ice Cream: For dessert, ice cream is a favorite. Create different presentations with sprinkles or colored toppings.
11. Mini Crepes: Another dessert option is mini crepes with various flavors, such as melted chocolate and dulce de leche.

And of course: the menu should contain items that fit your restaurant's concept. The choice of what to include should consider the type of cuisine you serve, adapting it to children's tastes.

To help you develop this menu, we've also brought some tips. Keep reading and learn more!

Tips for Setting Up a Perfect Kids Menu

Winning over kids requires much more than an appetizing menu. Combining quality food with fun is the secret to having them leave your restaurant satisfied.

Below, we list some tips to help you set up a menu that will please both children and parents or guardians. Follow along!

1 – Include Healthy Options

Concern about healthy eating is growing, and this also applies to children. Although many don't like eating vegetables, parents look for options that aren't made only of sugar and fat.

With this in mind, you can count on the help of a nutritionist to create dishes with healthier and more nutritious ingredients in recipes. Also consider including juices, smoothies, and fruit for dessert.

2 – Pay Attention to Seasonings and Ingredients

Children's palates are different, so you need to be careful when preparing. Many children aren't used to certain seasonings or don't like experimenting with different ingredients.

So avoid strong seasonings, like chili peppers, and include at least one “traditional and basic” dish. Also, be flexible about adapting menu items, adding or removing whatever the customer asks for.

3 – Smaller Portions

Portions served to children are generally smaller because they don't have as much appetite as adults. So pay attention to quantities to avoid overdoing it and wasting a lot of food.

If necessary, set an age limit for the kids menu, since older children, from age 10 onward, eat in quantities similar to adults.

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4 – Creative Presentation

Dish presentation is a differentiator in your restaurant's experience. For children's dishes, you can use creativity to make the meal more fun.

Drawing on plates, choosing colorful or themed utensils with famous characters, playing with colors and other elements are some ideas to enhance the presentation.

5 – Giveaways

How about creating combos with special giveaways? Including combo options in the kids menu is a great strategy to increase your revenue and entertain children.

For example: the combo with dish + juice + dessert comes with a surprise gift. Or you can also create different combos, each with a different toy as a giveaway. It will surely be a success!

Set Up Your Menu and Increase Your Profits

So, what did you think of the tips? As we've seen, having a kids menu in your restaurant is a good way to attract more customers and increase your sales.
And, for even better results, you can use menu engineering techniques. Download our free guide now and learn how to increase your profitability by creating a more strategic menu.