Get Ready for the Summer Rush

The summer is finally here and pretty much every school system in the country has now let out so that means you can expect to see increasing numbers of tourist families showing up in town looking for a bite to eat at a local eatery. Here’s how you can cash in on the summer rush:

Offer Family Friendly Food

It goes without saying that families traveling with children will be looking for a variety of dining options on the road. They’re going to want to see grown up food for the adults and kid friendly food for the kids.

Not every restaurant is suited to both parties–not to mention that some restaurants would prefer that families with young children don’t grace their tables; however, the vast majority of restaurateurs would do well to make sure that their menus reflect the needs of this traveling crowd.

Budget Conscious Menus are Important as Well

“The Great Recession” is still hitting American consumers in the wallet. A recent survey showed that people planning to travel this summer will be looking for cheaper food options when they eat out.

That doesn’t mean you have to compete with the McDonald’s dollar menu, although you may want to consider offering some kind of family specials on your menu in order to encourage these diners to choose your establishment over any other.

Which Restaurants Can Expect to See the Crowds?

It goes without saying that there are some restaurants that will not see the upsurge in family dining and frankly, they wouldn’t want it anyway. The very expensive restaurants in town that cater only to the sophisticated crowd will likely see the same people coming in regardless of whether they offer kid-friendly food and discounted family packages.

Similarly, specialty restaurants, such as the only kosher restaurant in town or the only vegan restaurant in town, while likely to see an uptick in the number of visitors, will not need to worry too much about offering special deals. However, for the rest of us, it’s time to start putting together those summer menus.

Tags: family discounts, kid friendly food, summer menus, summer rush, summer travel