Tell McDonald’s what’s important to you when eating out with your family - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED!

[EmmaMumsnet]

Whilst eating out with the family can provide a much-needed treat and opportunity to reconnect, it can also entail much compromise in order to ensure that all members are satisfied with the outing. McDonald’s UK is keen to find out what is running through your mind when it comes to making that often tricky dining decision whilst keeping smiles on everyone’s faces.

Here what McDonald’s has to say: “We’re looking at new options for our Happy Meal and invited Mumsnet behind the scenes as we started the food development journey! Our restaurants have changed, options like kiosk ordering and table service make it easier for families to enjoy our food but we want to know what you look for when eating out as a family.”

Whether you are celebrating a special occasion, visiting your favourite family restaurant or simply popping into a local take away, we want to know on what basis you make such decisions. Is it the provision of colouring sheets for the kids, or haute cuisine for the more mature members of the family? Maybe you find it difficult to identify a restaurant with menus capable of pleasing all parties and resort to visiting several locations? Is making sure your children’s meals are well balanced or that the location is family friendly important to you?

Whatever your main considerations are when choosing somewhere to eat out with your family, please share them below and you will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

McDonalds fries are far too salty!! I don’t like to give my children food that contains high level of salt and sugar. More vegetarian options that are appealing to children would be appreciated

Decent quality and variety for children, not the usual processed chicken nuggets and chips. Of course my kids would happily eat these, but I hate the assumption that it's all they will want. Many kids have varied tastes. Or the option of a quarter size adult meal for kids, so there is more variety.

Anila They stopped saltng the chips recently, think you have to ask for salt sachets now. They are still yum without the salt which surprised me as I thought that's what made them so tasty!

healthy food that is appealing and theres a variety to choose from we there has to be something for everyone or we wont eat there

I’ve been to Macdonald’s twice recently. The ability to switch chips for fruit pack is great and the extra fruit pack for 49p is also good.

The loo doors in all the ones I’ve been in recently have been incredibly heavy which is tough when you’re herding kids.

Cleanliness is paramount.

My number improvement would be: milk bottles with sports lids! The milk is so easy to knock over and spills so easily!

What's important to us is fast service because our children are autistic. The booths are a good idea for privacy. Good quality fresh food something for the kids to do like tech device or toy and colouring book. Also tv with childrens tv in the booth.

Healthy food that is made from fresh ingredients, as well as veggie and vegan options

Its important to me that we are in a place that is suitable for everyone! My sister is gluten free, my younger family members can keep entertained, and there is lots of yummy food that everyone will enjoy!

Quality food for everyone, not great for adults then stuff from the freezer for kids. Not just "something and chips". Pudding options for kids that aren't just ice cream or a dry chocolate brownie.

stuff to keep them entertained while we're waiting for food.

cleanliness.

Decent wine. (for me, not the kids.)

It's important that the restaurant is clean.

We get happy meals occasionally but every time we get them I wish they were healthier - my daughters love opening the box and seeing the toy inside (which I think are always pretty good). They like the fries but I wish there was something else they would enjoy alongside them which is a bit healhier - or maybe a jacket potato instead of fries. Or veggie fingers instead of fish fingers.

So when eating out - hygiene is the most important factor for us, followed by some healthy options for the kids, ideally presented in a fun way for the younger ones (like the happy meal box and toy).

The most important thing yo me is to go to an independent local eatery be it pub or restaurant that serves quality local food. Avoid McD' s like the plague.

Plenty of choice for the childrens meal, children's cutlery, things to keep them entertained, clean toilets and baby change area

We love McDonalds as a family because there is something we all can enjoy - I can even stick to a diet with the grilled chicken salad.
My kids love the happy meal, but my oldest at 9 is now finding them a bit too small (before anyone judges: he is stick thin and never stops moving!) but he still likes the toys sometimes, so I end up buying him extra nuggets/fruit bags - maybe some kind of Happy Meal plus would be cool. The toys they love the best are the small plush big-eyed animal ones which they keep and play with forever - we have some that are years old still on active service. And there were some games recently that were popular - noughts and crosses I think they are still playing with in the car. The plastic figures that only do one thing, or are stuck in a particular position end up at the bottom of the toybox. Things that are important to me are places to park easily nearby, ease of finding a seat in the restaurant, and quick service - also it is affordable for us as a treat when we are out an about, whilst other restaurants aren't an option apart from special occasions. I like the ordering kiosks and table service ideas very much. The nice people handing out balloons and the colouring sheets are also appreciated.

Absolutely echo what the others have said with regards to cleanliness. As the Mum to a littlie with food allergies (including sesame seeds), the cleaner the highchairs and surfaces, the more we can relax!
Healthy options, better/more varied vegetarian options (for me!), and little touches like colouring sheets would all seriously raise McDs in our eyes.

When eating out with my family, it’s really important to me that the restaurant is clean, the staff are friendly and that we are served fairly quickly as it’s not easy eating out with a young child! In terms of menu choices, I’m looking for something healthy and balanced that the kids will enjoy.

Unisex baby changing used to be essential but now it’s more menu options and price for DD along with a family friendly non judgemental atmosphere.

We don’t tend to eat out often and are quite strict with treats at home so I’m never overly worried about healthy food options as opposed to a variety of food options, so not just the same thing done in 4 different flavours.

My dc have allergies so staff who are trained up and can answer questions would be good. Fortunately the allergy information on the back of the paper menu is very detailed but often doesn’t match the staff’s knowledge.
Also agree with the poster up thread who has mentioned more veggie options, I am pescatarian so tend to have the fish sandwich as it’s better than the very bland veg burger.
Expanded range of juices - D.C. cannot have orange juice and usually end up with fruit shoot.
Dairy free milk for hot drinks please. I already queried this with McDonald’s who say they do not have any plans to offer soy milk as an option. Must be because of cost or logistics but they are really behind the times with this.

We look for a varied children's menu with at least some reasonably healthy options. One thing we would like, but never seem to encounter, is for water to be offered alongside meal deals for children, instead of juice. Other than that clean tables, decent changing facilities & quick service are the most important things for us.

Fruit and/or veg options for kids, colouring for kids, and fast service are all factors on our decision-making.

Cleanliness.

Friendly attitude customer oriented very helpful. My daughter loves mcdonalds because the balloons tablets and colouring in pictures which make eating out that little bit more relaxing as it keeps them very entertained

I want to eat somewhere which is welcoming and caters for all the family, whilst being somewhere we can relax and connect and catch up. often we eat out on the spur of the moment other times it is planned in advance as a treat and we generally have a group discussion about where were going to eat and end up with a mutual decision

What i don't want is dirty tables, rude staff or crushed food on the floor.

Colouring sheets, clean spaces, healthy food and ideally, a ban on loud things being played on hand held devices. We don’t allow them at the table and it grates to hear other childrens’ cartoons when you’re trying to chat. Also then our DC wants the same or is straining to watch. It ruins the meal.

Clean venue, fast service, veggie options and teenage meals

Cost!