Cater to the Kids

We’re swimming into the wake of summer, which includes children’s summer camps, junior leagues, and teens with too much time on their hands!

What does this mean for your food business?

Since summer can be a slow season for centers in some parts of the country, it’s important to do everything in your power to get the most value during operating hours. And one of the best ways to do that is ramping up your menu’s appeal to the 18 and under crowd. 

Surveys from Datassential tell us that 57% of teenagers agree with the statement, ‘Food gets me excited.’ So, what are you doing to get them excited? 

This young market may have a small cash budget on their own, but they have consistent access to the golden goose budget known as ‘mom and dad’s.’  Parents are notoriously opening their wallets on the regular to feed and water their hungry crew while trying to occupy the endless needs of summer break.

What foods are bringing the gang together?

The National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot list has breakfast dishes topping the charts for over three years in a row. Mention of breakfast on kids’ menus have been growing 17.5% year after year. If you can get your hands on grandma’s secret waffle recipe, now is the time.  In case you missed IBI’s March story on brunch and bowl, you might want to take a quick look to dive deeper into this sector of business. Nat – get QR code ready

In an odd twist, second in line behind blueberry waffles for dinner, is kids requesting superfoods! In 2018, 71.8% of kids in the country participated in playing sports. To stay competitive on the field and in the classroom, students are far more aware of the importance of a healthy diet than they were before. High protein and high carbs provide everything youths need to grow muscle and stay energized. Mexican bowls using cauliflower rice are among the top picks, as are turkey BLT sandwiches, and literally anything else with an avocado in it!

Current Hottest Trends That Kids Want:

·      All day breakfasts

·      Healthful kids’ meals have hit the charts on the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot list for the past three years in a row

·      Mentions of breakfast dishes on kids’ menus have grown 17.5% year after year

·      78% of parents say that their kids enjoyed trying new foods

·      57% of teenagers agree with the statement, ‘Food gets me excited’ from Datassential

Shake It Up

Kids like to party too! While they don’t have access to dirty martinis, the sweet flavors of a milkshake work even better for them. Milkshakes are easy to make, provide a solid markup, and create a chain reaction among kids in your center.

All you need to do is add ice cream and milk to a blender, and blend on smooth. The important thing is to make sure it’s colorful and eye appealing, even sprinkles with a cherry on top is enough to get the younger crowd jumping.

If you want to increase your markup even more, consider adding things like chocolate bars, fruits, toffee crunch, or Oreos on top!

Top 5 Popular Milkshake Options:

Vanilla Special

Chocolate Fudge

Cool Mint

Strawberry Marshmallow

Blueberry Cheesecake