10 Kid-Friendly Restaurant Menu Ideas

A Restaurant.com survey reveals that 70% of parents think dining out with their kids is a great way to spend quality time together. Since families are sure to bring their children when they visit your establishment, it’s a good idea to develop a kids’ menu that caters to their needs. If you’re not sure where to start, this list of the top 10 kid-friendly restaurant menu ideas will help you please both children and parents alike.

Chicken Nuggets

According to data from Statista.com, 5% of Americans report eating chicken nuggets every day with another 11% enjoying them several times per week. Combined with the fact that children love crunchy finger foods, chicken nuggets are undoubtedly one of the best kid-friendly restaurant menu ideas. To make them even more appealing, offer a variety of dipping sauces like barbecue, honey mustard and ranch.

Grilled Cheese

Quick to make, easy to eat and loved by many, grilled cheese is another food that belongs on your restaurant’s kids menu. While there’s nothing wrong with the traditional triangle cut, consider slicing your grilled cheese sandwiches into strips or bite-sized pieces to make them easier for children to handle. If you want to enhance both the flavor and fun, include a dunking sauce like ketchup, marinara or tomato soup.

Pizza

No list of kid-friendly restaurant menu ideas would be complete without mentioning pizza. Although kids love standard types of pizza like cheese and pepperoni, you can make their dining experience more exciting by giving them a list of toppings and letting them pick what they want to create their own pizza. The possibilities are almost endless, so they’re sure to beg their parents to come back to your restaurant to try different combinations.

Burgers

Kids’ meal combos consisting of burgers, fries and a drink are common on fast food menus because they’re both popular with customers and profitable for businesses. Since a fully-loaded, restaurant-style burger might be a bit too big for a child’s mouth, think about serving sliders instead. If you serve 3-4 at a time, make the meal fun and exciting by letting kids order different toppings on each one.

Tacos

Given that tacos are handheld, crunchy and a little messy (in a fun way), it’s no surprise that kids love them. Although you could serve your tacos loaded with the toppings, you can make the meal even more interactive by putting the cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and salsa in small bowls off to the side so that your young guests can make their tacos exactly how they want.

Mac & Cheese

From barbecue restaurants to sports pubs, mac and cheese is a menu staple with nearly universal appeal. If you want to serve a kids’ version, consider using fun-shaped pasta like bowties, shells or spirals. Parents know that macaroni and cheese isn’t exactly health food, so make yours a bit better by using whole wheat pasta and serving with steamed veggies.

Veggie Sticks

When you’re looking for kid-friendly restaurant menu ideas that aren’t deep fried or extra cheesy, carrot sticks, celery ribbons and broccoli florets are perfect side dishes. A FoodNetwork.com article mentions a study on preschooler eating habits that found 3-to 5-year-olds were much more likely to eat vegetables when served with dips, so make sure to serve your snack-size veggies with ranch, yogurt or another sauce to satisfy the pickiest eaters.

Pancakes

Fast-cooking and extremely versatile, pancakes are one of the best breakfast options for a kids’ menu. Be sure to offer a variety of mix-ins, such as chocolate chips and fresh berries, so that your young guests can customize their meal exactly what they want. Don’t forget to make their meal even more fun by arranging the pancakes, sides and toppings in fun shapes like a smiling face or cartoon character.

Mocktails

Although there’s nothing wrong with milk and juice, kid-friendly mocktails can be great additions to your restaurant’s menu. Colorful drinks with playful names like the Shirley Temple and Cinderella add a touch of whimsy that’s almost guaranteed to impress your young guests, increasing the likelihood that they’ll beg their parents to visit your establishment again.

Ice Cream

Considering that 94% of 6 to 11-year-olds eat ice cream, no list of kids’ meal ideas would be complete without frozen desserts. Although ice cream is delicious plain, giving children the option of adding toppings like chocolate sauce, small candies and whipped cream can make it even better.

Kids Menu Tips

Although selecting foods and drinks that children like is important, there are other things to consider when designing a kid-friendly restaurant menu as well. If you’re looking to improve your young guests’ visit to your establishment, keep the following tips in mind:

Smaller Portions

Children’s stomachs are smaller than those of adults, so it’s important to serve reduced portions in order to avoid waste. If you’re concerned that the smaller portions may look less appealing, try serving mini versions of standard foods, such as silver dollar pancakes and slider hamburgers, in order to keep the meal fun and satisfying.

Fun Presentation

Get kids excited about their food by presenting it in a fun and playful manner. Whether it’s arranging a breakfast platter into a smiley face, serving mac and cheese in a colorful dish or putting a kiddie cocktail in a decorative glass, small touches can make a child’s visit to your restaurant more memorable.

Avoid Sharp Objects

Since safety should be a priority when serving children, it’s best to avoid offering menu items with sharp objects, such as kebabs with pointy skewers or hamburgers with toothpicks. In addition, your kitchen staff may want to consider cutting foods into bite-size pieces so children don’t have to pick up a knife and cut it themselves.

Allergen Information

Considering that food allergies affect 8% of children in the United States, it’s a good idea to identify menu items that contain common allergens such as eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. When parents see that your restaurant is taking steps to keep everyone safe, they’ll have a more favorable opinion of your business, increasing the probability of a repeat visit.

Coloring Placemats

If kids get impatient while waiting for their food, they can feel frustrated and act unruly, negatively impacting the dining experience of those around them. In order to keep them occupied and well-behaved, offer complimentary coloring sheets and crayon sets so they have something to do until their food arrives.