NOW FINISHED: Help create PizzaExpress' Service Charter and have the chance to win £250 of PizzaExpress vouchers

[Carriemumsnet]

You may recall many moons ago we asked for your thoughts on what makes the perfect restaurant/ cafe for mums (here), but we cannily didn't tell you who was asking the questions as we didn't want that information to skew your answers? Well we can now reveal that the company who wanted to garner your collective wisdom was > PizzaExpress and the reason they wanted to know is that they are in the process - in their words - of "creating the PizzaExpress of the future".

The first of their new generation restaurants will be unveiled on Oct 21st in Richmond (that's London not Yorks - sorry Yorkshire folks) and there'll be invites for Mumsnetters to road test it, with a chance to feedback and tell them what you think of the new concept before they start rolling it out elsewhere. Anyone interested in knowing more now, there'll be a blog about it live from Sept 17th here

They're introducing things that have the potential to keep children happy and occupied, like communal kids' drawing tables, and silent, interactive video screens created by the same chaps who did some of the great games at the Tate Modern. And they promise that there'll be room for buggies - one of the top things to come out of the survey It's going to be open all day, starting at 8.45, serving brunch and freshly baked daytime treats. The idea is that Richmond should feel like a bit like a 'living lab', where lots of new ideas are going to be tested out. The ones that work, they'll roll out, the ones that don't, they'll ditch.

One of the major themes that emerged from the initial survey was the difference good service makes to whether you frequent a cafe/ restaurant or not and PizzaExpress now want to create a Mumsnet Service Charter that they can use to help train their staff. Carrie is going to be videoed as part of their training, talking about what it's like to be a mum and what mumsnetters want and expect from good service. The idea being that this should help their waiters understand parents' needs and help them to help us make it through the day (or at least the bit of the day they spend in PE).

So go ahead - tell Pizza Express what three things would make your day (in terms of service). They can't guarantee to incorporate every single suggestion, but hopefully some themes will emerge that they can build into a realistic Service Charter.

We'll kick off:
Someone helping you with your buggy/ double buggy -rather than tutting when you struggle thro the door
Someone offering you something edible - even if it's just bread and water when you first sit down, and just being nice....
Sharp pencils
Good to get that off the MNHQ collective chest , now it's over to you. Everyone who offers suggestions for the Mumsnet /Pizza Express Service Charter on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky winner will receive £250 of Pizza Express vouchers.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

I love Pizza Express - have one within walking distance and am wary of it changing too much

But, but, but - they always give glasses of water to young kids in tall glass glasses. So, I am constantly having to keep my eye on it tipping. So - short fatter tumblers for kids and straws that bend so no tipping the glass/holding it below table level in order that child can drink

Agree that it's always a little bit too chilly in there. And always echoey.

Do not like the sound of the interactive video screens at all

Yes ours is always cold as well now I think about it. If it was warmer we would probably stay longer and drink more wine and coffee :)

Extended kids menu/childrens' portions of main menu.

Non-glass glasses for the children?

Highchairs that have cleaned carefully in between uses.

Those small seats on the toilets (or one toilet?), not removable the permanent ones inbetween the normal seat and the lid.

And yes, better general service, I too often have to flag them down for something.

lidded beakers or beakers with straw holes

training staff NOT to put drinks within grab-reach of an under 2

balloons

menus for children that they can draw on and circle what they want to hand to waiting staff

paper table cloths and pencils/crayons to draw on it with - best art to be stuck on the walls, or let them rip their bit of tablecloth out and take it home (I've known another restaurant that used to do this)

Please do something for those if us with food allergies - DS loves PE, but as I can't have gluten, the only thing I can have is a salad - which isn't v exciting or filling. Must be really hard for gf children.

I like the tiny desserts

Def would be good to get and pay bill faster - our local one is otherwise great (but crammed in, such that wheelchair access is v tricky), but it always takes forever to get and pay your bill

Remembering to leave children's meals to cool for a bit. I remember being v cross at Ask last time we went as DD's food was piping hot still while DH and I were halfway through ours. I asked for a cool dish but they only had warmed ones.

Room for buggies

Plastic beakers and straws

Picky food options, I've seen in a local restaurant 'picnic food' on a children's menu, homous and dippy stuff, that's my daughter's ideal meal :)

We have just been to Pizza Express (so jeans really tight now!).

Agree they are really child friendly already but suggestions are:

1. Slightly bigger tables, we struggled on a small round table with x4 plates, drinks etc

2. Smaller glasses for children

3. Child size pizzas

Yes, I agree bigger tables.

agree vegetarian portions 'not all mushroom and peppers'

larger children's portions my children really EAT

fruit salad?

Not sure they need to change much tbh ...disagree with a LOT on here.

Room for buggy by the door maybe but not in restaurant - not nice. Pizza Express nice as it is - why change a winning formula?

i think if you want a lidded beaker you should maybe take your own

yy to cooling food, small portions of main meals and NO video screens - the point of taking small children to restaurants is that they learn "social eating" and appropriate behaviour.

Like PE a lot, actually - one thing we found good in Wagamama, though, was staff casually sweeping up the detritus from under high chairs in very friendly and laid back fashion from time to time, so you don't leave slightly ashamed of the carnage on the floor.

Option to have pizza made up as you want it for children with sensory difficulties who may not be able to handle tomato or cheese

training for all staff about how to serve families would solve a lot of these issues.

Other thoughts:
serve kids pudding quickly - can't take long to put some icecream in bowl
pasta sauces not good last time I went, in fact take a look at Zizzi's kids menu - much better all round in my opinionoffers for eating early/kids go free offers

some of these suggestions eg buggies are a bit fanciful imo - if it is a busy small restuarant, there just isn't room for huge buggies - bring the maclaren fold up instead (goes for all other restuarants too)

1)Child size cutlery.
2)More options on the children's menu (not dough balls as a starter - too much bread.)
3)Quicker bill.

PE is one of our standard places to go with the kids though - the most child friendly restaurant I know.

i love wagamama

1. nice children's menu that has drawing/colouring with crayons too
2. no unnecessary items on the table -flowers/menu cards etc - remove them
3. plastic glasses for little ones

I think the problem with child portions is that it goes from toddler to 10+, and that's a big range or appetites. Not sure how you get round this.

Children's cutlery; wipes in the toilets as well as paper; fruit puddings; choice of peas/sweetcorn as well as the side salad (many kids don't eat salad).

How about a "viewing stand" where chilodren can stand and look through the glass and watch the pizzas being made?

1. plastic plates/cups for kids
2. some sort of family deal (one kids meal free when two adult meals ordered or something)
3. those high chairs for younger babies that are like a car seat

i would be put off by all the plastic stuff

i want my children to be able to eat off a china plate with knife and fork by 3 or 4 years old

Most of my suggestions have already been made and generally I think PE does a very good job. My suggestions would be:

1. Ask re ice. It is SO annoying when all the drinks come with glasses chock full of ice which I then have to tell DS he can't have. Fine for the older kids, but please ask for those of us with under 2s.

1. Plastic cups as standard. Our local PE has plastic glasses which look the same as the real ones but which bounce. The one in Waterloo has glass glasses which are much more stressful.

1. No video screens. I want my kids to learn that when we are out for lunch, the point is to chat to each other and enjoy each other's company (with drawing etc as required). If I wanted the kids to blob out in front of a screen, I'd have got a PE pizza from Sainsbury's and stayed at home.

I think Pizza Express is already brilliant for family friendliness, however:

• A chair that isn't a high chair, just a higher chair than the normal ones. My 3yo usually end up having to sit on a balled up coat to be at the right height for eating
• Chips on the menu - PLEASE (that's for me, not the DCs)
• Chocolate ice cream on the children's menu

See I told you they were trivial :o

video screens would mean i would NEVER go to PE

and i have six kids and live a minute from one - please DON'T