What would happen if a kid sat down to the children’s menu at T.G.I. Friday’s and had choices like sushi, curry chicken, gumbo, cheesy grits, a garden salad and a fruit cup? Well first, that’s not going to happen. But if it did, that kid might surprise everyone with wide eyes of eagerness.
That’s according to a recent survey conducted by Chicago-based Y-Pulse LLC of nearly 1,800 5-15 year olds. The company specializes in kid market research via schools for the school foodservice market.
In the survey, kids were asked to list their favorite foods. Naturally, high on the list were things like you find on T.G.I. Friday’s menu (mac and cheese, hamburger, pizza, chicken fingers, etc.) But it turns out that what’s on trend with grownups is also catching the eye of kids.
Many kids listed sushi as something they like. They also said they like foods from other countries, like Thailand, Pakistan and India. Regional U.S. cuisine also ranked well, hence the gumbo and grits. Additionally, if healthy fare is growing in popularity among grownups, couldn’t you just bet that kids are starting to think that way too? Yes. Salads and fruit made it to the list of favorite foods. The press release announcing the results of this study says, “The desire for healthy foods is so strong among some children – particularly older kids – that when asked how they can improve their school cafeterias, several respondents said they would like to see more healthy items on their breakfast or lunch menu throughout the day.”
While this study was done to show school foodservice a thing or two, there’s certainly cause for pause for restaurants. How about testing some of this out? The kids' menu of tomorrow doesn’t have to look like it does today, which it looked like yesterday and last year and a decade ago. Clearly, some adult-like menu innovation would be welcomed on the kids' menu.
Red Lobster may have been one of the first to think “adult” for kids and offers them broiled fish, snow crab legs and garlic grilled shrimp. Beyond that, kids' menus are real snoozers. It’s time for some restaurant operators to go to grade school and have a look around.
What do you think?
Jody
Um...like the style of your writing.*_*
Posted by: Taobao in English | 01/14/2011 at 03:34 PM