Opening a cafe

[dadslife]

I'm soon to open a cafe, exciting.

Anyway, I've taken my little girl into enough cafes to know that the food for kids is all too often fish fingers and chips. Just wondering what people like to see on the menu for their kids. thanks

'no wonder there is an obesity crisis in this nation'

No wonder there are so many disordered eating fusspots out there if there are people going round calling themselves 'nutritionalists' giving people advice on how to eat

DH's body building magazine this month has a recipe for turkey mince spag bol. Just saying.

If you're making cakes one dairy free and one gluten free option handy for allergy sufferers. DF spread to make sponge instead of butter is easy and tastes great. As for mains definitely just smaller versions of adult stuff.

plain grilled chicken breast . . . boak.

'DH's body building magazine this month has a recipe for turkey mince spag bol. Just saying.'

Report them to the nutrionalists!

My family ran a cafe for 30 years. It was sort of a greasy spoon, but we also had spag Bol, curry's shepherds pie, steak etc. It did really well and they were famous for some of their home cooked stuff like bubble. It really depends on where your cafe is and who your audience is, groups of mums with kids and peaks who want tiny portions and chopped fruit will not make you a profit in most areas.

Report them to the nutrionalists!
I have a vision of every nutritionalist in the country marching against Spag Bol. She would be a one woman crusade.

'groups of mums with kids and peaks who want tiny portions and chopped fruit will not make you a profit in most areas.'

This. They don't tend to be big spenders.

Oh, and I make my spag Bol with lean organic mince. Onion, garlic, celery, carrot, red pepper mushrooms, plus tinned toms. No salt. Just pepper, and dried italian herbs x

I have two toddlers and we eat out a little. I would love homemade cottage pie with hidden veg or pasta with a nice sauce.

Flapjacks or fruit pots

Scrambled egg on toast

Best of luck with your new venture

Oh gawd, I bet Lily, is Gillian McKeith, she'll make you shit in a box before allowing you to eat her special mung beans.

YY, Gillian hates food. On top of being a joyless she-devil.

With imaginary qualifications.
I'm trading in my 25 metre swimming badge for a nutritionalist certificate.

My kids eat all these 'unhealthy meals' along with plenty of cakes and sweets, my 9 year old is on the 2nd centile and went to school in shorts age 5-6 today. My 5 year old is tall and skinny. So obviously obese from all this unhealthy food I make them eat!!!
What have your kids had to eat for the past week lily???

Lilly Nutritionist yeah ok and I'm beyonce

If you spag bol is full of fat and salt you need some basic cooking lessons

As for grilled chicken and veg really? Even My baby ds would be disappointed with that The kid needs flavor

I like the kids menu at Bills

According to her profile......she doesn't have kids.....which imho makes a huge difference.

She probably thinks hers will enjoy quinoa and organic falafel.....

My DS does love falafel, and hummus...

Anyhow I quite liked there being those Ella's kitchen meals available in some cafes - would save you money and prep to just offer to heat up? And you can make your money off the actual menu?

Anyone can do a quick e-course these days and then call themselves a nutritionist (or nutrionalist in Lily's case)

As well as an obesity issue in this country we also have a growing number of people who have disordered eating - my friend works for an ED charity and she is getting an increasing number of calls from young girls who are petrified to eat anything other than foods deemed to be "clean" or things that contain gluten, dairy - whatever food is being demonised at the time.
Lily if you are saying some of the things about food to your kids that you have said on here then I feel really sad for what their relationships with food might be in the future - it's great that you are informed and you want to feed them well but please don't go OTT

Evapline....,kinda stepping on my post there.....😂😂

Hi OP. I read your post just before walking my dog and have pondered on it for a while. I have two DD’s who are both older (18 and 23) and have eaten out with them and their friends numerous times over the years. Here are my thoughts for what they are worth!

I think that for children who eat anything and are unfussy half/small portions of regular food is the way to go. My DD1 would have been fine with this.

HOWEVER I understand what people say about kids menus but i would not have even gone into a cafe that did not have a kids menu or something on the menu that suggested they would be very flexible.

For DD2, who was immensely fussy as a child (eats most things now) i would have been in your cafe loads if you could prepare for her a white bread/roll/wrap with ham . No mayo, butter, salad on the plate, coleslaw on the plate. Or a pizza with small sprinkle of cheese or plain pasta with a tomato/basil sauce (and hold the cheese sprinkle or herb sprinkle). For pushing some ice cream was always welcome - plain flavours (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry) but lose the sprinkles, wafer, sauce if not asked for.

I guess what i am saying is that if you can be prepared to be flexible and really listen to what your customers are asking for then you will do well. Parens will return time and time again to a cafe where they can get delicious food but their children will be catered for no matter how fussy they are.

Good luck with your new venture.

Childs size/ small portions of any adult meal. May I also add it might be worth offering smaller portions to older people too my Mum loves it when cafe restaurant allow her to have a half portion.

Somebody mentioned about doing a children's lunch box, you could get some McDonald's style cardboard boxes with a sandwich ( choice of filling ham, cheese, egg, tuna etc) a pot of either chopped veg ( carrot, peppers, cucumber) or fruit ( Apple, grapes, pineapple) and a juice or water.

Do the children's nuggets, chips, beans as a lot of parents are happy for there child to have a treat meal when out. Also offer a pasta dish, jacket potatoe, chilli with rice for a healthier option.

Offer some fruit salad or ice cream desserts ( basic flavours strawberry, vanilla, chocolate)

Best of luck OP. Do come back and tell us your menu when you open as I'm a nosey cow!

Joining in on the parade here....but what the hell is wrong with a spag bol.....?

IMO, it's usually these type dishes, the ones with a sauce that can hide a multitude of vegtables, lentils and pulses!

OP, what kind of cafe are you opening? Is it the type where you will serve mostly coffee and cake, a greasy spoon or a boutique type establishment?

I ask, as dependent upon what/where you are opening will be dependent upon what you serve re:the children's menu.

Winners IMO are:

Any pasta dish >bolognase, tomato, macaroni cheese, butter<
Pic 'N' mix wher you could easily cater for those with allergies >sandwhiches, rice cakes, crudités, fruit, yoghurts, cheese portions<
Half portions of popular adult dishes

Veggie kids options
Yes yes to 2 different kid's sizes
Nothing too mixed together, e.g. don't stir the veg, sauce and pasta all together nd sprinkle cheese on top

I would say whatever you offer make it to order or assemble to order wherever possible so that it can be customised and state this very clearly on the menu. So kids that don't like butter on their sand which, cheese on their burger, pepperoni on their pizza or pasta touching their sauce can be catered for. It really makes menus so much more inclusive. A simple pasta dish with hidden veg tomato sauce blended to smooth would be good for fussy ones. I'd probably go for a mix of small versions of adult meals with a few nice, well made kiddie friendly bits maybe a home made breaded chicken gougon, a simple home made fish cake and a child size homemade burger. A list of sides that can be selected in a pic and mix style is good so if you have a child that wants chicken gougons with a side of plain pasta that is ok.
Having said all this I don't really think of cafes serving meals as such. More sort of light options. Wraps and baguettes, soup, quiche and salad, toasties, salads etc. I guess more of what I consider lunch food.