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

[mollyroger]

Look. Pizza Express is fine. It really is. It doesn't need kiddyfying. All it needs is to change the name to Pizza Don't Bother If You Have Less Than 3 Hours In Which To Dine.
Just make it so when you have kids, you don't have to wait 30 mins between courses and we will return.
We have vowed if we ever go again, to bring cobweb spray to spray ourselves with, in the hope the waiting staff get the hint....

[Lizzylou]

We don't live near a PE but have visited a few on our travels.

• Kids menu, it is pretty rubbish, there was nothing my DS2 would eat. I agree the ability to order a 1/2 portion from the main menu would be better
  

• The leaflet thing was very definitely for older children, just some plain paper would be fine or 3 levels of leaflets, so it would be more age appropriate.
  

• Never mind a Children's picking platter, an adults or family selection would be even better. We went to a nearby pub and ordered 2 different picking platters between us all and my boys ate stuff they never would have normally. I prefer eating like that anyway.

[HowsTheSerenity]

No video screens. I am taking my DC's out for a meal not to the movies.

Smaller child portions. But then again my kids are tall and eat heaps.

Yes to non ice cream desserts.

Confident staff who can tell the parents of the crazy kids to settle them down.

A place to put prams. As a non pram user it does frustrate me when you cannot move anywhere in a restaurant because the prams are blocking all pathways.

Little puzzle books with crayons. I like the cornwall pasty kids box. Copy theirs. Entertaining, things to dress up in but no crappy toy like Mcdonalds.

However, Richmond is my local PE and have never had a problem there.

[Horton]

Richmond PE is usually excellent, you are right. The Kew one is a different matter! I think all the staff in there are half asleep at all times.

[said]

Not a child issue but whilst I have PE's attention - get some bloody sharp knives! Every PE has blunt knives that mean you have to tear your pizza rather than cut it.

Am concerned about PE becoming to creche like from this thread.

[nameymcnamechange]

"Am concerned about PE becoming to creche like from this thread".

Agree. There is a danger your customers without children or with older children will find somewhere a bit more ambient and adult to go to ...

[NotanOtter]

i agree - hence my comments

live and let live - child friendly is not necessarily adult friendly but there is a fantastic middle ground

[Aitch]

you guys should go to Paperinos on Byres Road in Glasgow if you want to know EVERYTHING about serving food to children and adults and keeping everyone happy (and lightly sozzled).

did not know about the pre-cooked pasta, edam, so that's why it is so revolting. i had wondered...

chicken caesar salad, otoh, is delish. [10,500 cals icon]

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Yes I agree - special kids area, play tables and screens not needed - but there are lots of great ideas on this thread about making the actual eating a more pleasant and stress-free experience if you have children which are very valid.

[Katz]

PE is one of the few place we et out which both DD's agree on. However my suggestions would be :

more choice on the children's menu
no need for flowers/candles ect on the table - there just one more thing to be knocked over.
jug of tap water on arrival
breadsticks on arrival
make the mini adult desserts (the ones which come with a coffee)available for children.

[CheeryCherry]

• Nibbles on arrival. Chirpy staff too!
  

• Decent Vegi options, not just margarita pizza or tomato pasta. Decent drink options too - real fruitjuices/smoothies/milkshakes. No sad/suprised/shocked expressions when asking for tap water!
  

• NO to screens/tvs/other techy gadgets - we go out to get away from them!
  

-Perhaps - not sure though- paper tablecloths with packs of crayons for the family to decorate...its fun and often v amusing!

[mummyofexitedprincesses]

Being welcomed with a friendly smile and having somewhere to sit if we have to wait for a table.

Children's meals that are smaller versions of adults meals, not just nugget 'n' chips offerings.

I want to feel that I am in a restaurant with my children and expect them to behave accordingly, rather than have the restaurant changed into a play area. I'm not against colouring sheets, however.
:)

[nikki1978]

The childrens meals to be brought to the table first

Childrens drinks with lids :)

Wider range of kids meals

Better kids packs or a separate place for them to play - the current packs seem geared to slightly older children who can do word searches etc. Colouring in one picture cannot keep a child amused for long enough to eat a meal sadly!

[biggerfeetsmallerboobs]

I would like them to offer a large bib/sleeved apron, I have a very messy DD and PE tomato sauce is hard to get out of clothes! Also booster seats as well as high chairs for toddlers. And a chance for the kids to get up-close to watch the pizzs being made would be great, although I bet it's not allowed due to Health and Safety!

[piprabbit]

Faster service - we were in our local (Basildon) PE for 2 and a bit hours and had to give up without finishing our meals, we got embarressed that our 2yo was getting noisy/tired and disrupting other diners.
A 35 minute wait between starters and mains to arrive is just not supportable for a young family.

It's not the first time we've experienced slow service in Essex PEs. It's area shame as the rest of PEs offering is very family-friendly, but I'm not sure I can cope with the stress.

[singersgirl]

Pizza Express already has a good children's menu, with salad, dough balls, mini pizza (and they're quite flexible about what they put on it) or pasta, mini dessert and babyccino.

Pet hates from restaurants generally:

Rubbish children's menu that doesn't reflect the main menu and doesn't encourage children to try anything new.
Tall glasses with straws for small children - why? Clearly a disaster waiting to happen.
Chairs that are too heavy or impossible for small children to pull in close enough to the table/no cushions.

[Horton]

and doesn't encourage children to try anything new

That is exactly my problem with the PE menu. It is pizza (OK, they let you put what you want on it but charge you a fair bit for the privilege - why not any two toppings from the entire range) or very ordinary pasta. Having said that, it's a lot better than some places so we do still go there. But there is always room for improvement.

[PollyTechnique]

1 Corner booth type tables where you can breast-feed with a bit of privacy.

2 Pile of serviettes in a dispenser on the table - I'm always asking for more!

3 Detailed menus listing all the ingredients - fed up of ordering for a child off the adult menu and finding there's a unexpected ingedient like coarse black pepper or salad dressing that the child doesn't like. Also specifying the fish in a mixed dish (salmon allergy). And making it easier early on to know what the veg of the day is without waiting for the waiter/waitress to try to recall them and having to make a decision on the spot if it suits dc.

[renaldo]

Less noisy environment, our local PE has bare fllor , windows and stairs and is so echoey.
No to children running around - its never acceptable at any age.
Food fine TBH

[SixtyFootDoll]

Differing size childrens meals
My 10 yr old will eat a lot more than a 2 yr old but not as much as me.
And child friendly 'nibbles' breadsticks, pringles etc

[NoahAndTheWhale]

1. When someone has children with them, giving the crayons and booklets without being asked, and when you do, bringing a pot with more than three crayons, when there are two children
   

1. Breadsticks on arrival would be quite nice
   

1. Maybe other puddings available for children?
   

My children are 4 and 6 and we go to Pizza Express occasionally. Is generally a good experience :)

[lisad123isgoingcrazy]

mine would be good highchaors and booster seats for the older ones that arent quite big enough to sit in normal chairs. A good supply of tea spoons for babies and extras for the kiddies who love to drop everything.

chairs that are possible to breastfeed in without banging arms or babies heads.

Somewhere to warn a bottle without having to always ask a staff memember.

Colouring for the kids with sharp pencils

Staff NOT to carry hot food and drinks over the kids heads

A quick way to pay without having to wait for the bill (maybe bring with puds) because trust me once the kids have finished I just want to get going before they wreak the place.

[AbFabT]

• more vegetarian pizza options (we don't all like mushrooms!), OR, the ability to choose, say, five vegetable toppings and the price remain £8.00ish, and not get charged £1 per go just because I want to swop a couple of items from one of the vegetarian pizzas, which end up making it cost £12!
  

- vegan cheese option pleeeeeease!
- free bottles of water without having to ask, like Strada provide.
- vegan dessert that ISN'T boring old fruit salad
- fresh squeezed fruit juice

(sorry, that was five!)

[Aitch]

i hope MN are being paid A FORTUNE for this focus group, btw. this is solid gold stuff here, if PE has the sense to see it.