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6 erreurs à éviter pour accueillir des enfants au restaurant
- 28 May 2025
- News from the restaurant industry
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Restaurants are increasingly welcoming families with children. They're a valuable, loyal clientele, and often a prescriber of good food. However, welcoming children in the dining room isn't always a matter of course, and certain mistakes, even unintentional ones, can harm the experience of young and old alike! If you're just starting out in the catering business and don't have all the codes, here's an article that may help.
Between comfort, safety and conviviality, it's important to think through every detail to ensure that the time spent with the family is enjoyable for all. In this article, we review 6 common mistakes to avoid - and above all, we give you easy-to-implement solutions.
1. Poor positioning of families with children
Acommon mistake is to place families near high-traffic areas, the kitchen, or in the middle of a quiet room full of couples or groups looking for peace and quiet.
This positioning can quickly become a headache, between excited children and complicated service.
Best practice: set up a dedicated or semi-dedicated area for families with children.
This makes it easier to manage flows, limit tensions between customers (if children are restless), and above all, offer a space where families feel welcome.
2. Don't provide anything to keep the children occupied
Common mistake: believing that an old toy or a simple pencil will be enough to keep a child occupied for an entire meal. The result: impatience, restlessness, sometimes screaming or crying... and a shortened meal.
The solution: offer tabletop activity kits, such as coloring games, mini-games or adapted puzzles. At Welcome Family, we offer game kits designed specifically for the foodservice sector, including eco-responsible games.
3. Forget practical equipment
A common mistake: not having a high chair, booster seat or changing table. This forces parents to improvise, or even cut short their visit, which can be frustrating.
What you need to do: equip yourself with suitable furniture. Ergonomic high chairs, easy-to-clean booster seats and space-saving wall-mounted changing tables are all essential.
This equipment can be installed, and highlighted in your communications (on your website, your social networks, or via pictograms in the room or window). This shows that you're a "kids-friendly" venue, without damaging your brand image.
4. Poor training of staff in child care
Acommon mistake: staff who are irritated, distant or even awkward with children or their parents. This can quickly create a bad atmosphere, even with a good menu and a beautiful space.
The solution: make your teams aware of the importance of this audience. A quick training session on how to deal with families may suffice: active listening, patience, a benevolent attitude.
Children can sometimes behave unpredictably, but a well-prepared team will be able to defuse delicate situations calmly and professionally.
5. Failure to adapt service to children's rhythms
Frequent mistakes: making children wait as long as adults, failing to offer a suitable menu or refusing any flexibility in service.
Result: irritated children, stressed parents, and a table that quickly empties.
Tip: offer a children's menu that's simple, tasty and quick to prepare. Make it a priority to serve the children's dishes, even if the adults are still waiting.
If there's a delay, a free game or activity at the table can turn the wait into a playful moment. At Welcome Family, we have designed specific solutions for this purpose, combining practicality, durability and attractiveness.
6. Neglecting the comfort of other customers
Acommon mistake is to let children run between tables, play unsupervised or shout at the risk of disturbing other guests. This can create tension in the room.
What's needed: clearly delineated play areas visible to parents, with age-appropriate equipment. These areas allow children to play safely without invading the dining room.
With a few well-thought-out adjustments, you can enhance the family experience in your restaurant.
Welcome Family we're here to help you with practical solutions: high chairs, booster seats, children's corners, play kits, designer and compliant equipment... to simplify your daily routine and delight your customers.
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