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

When it comes to eating out with the children there are many considerations that go into selecting where we eat

1. Location - can we park, is it near to where we are going or have been
2. Family-friendly - somewhere my children can chat, laugh and have activities to keep them occupied without childless parties groaning that there are children about
3. Food - good selection of food types available, which are easily customised. Removing the pickle from a cheeseburger etc without having to do it ourselves (children won't eat it if it has been 'contaminated' with a pickle - lol)
4. Facilities - children seem to want to check out the facilities wherever you go. So knowing that they are available, clean and hygienic is a must
5. Service with a smile - simple gestures like saying hello to the children, asking them if they would like a tomato sauce pot or a balloon will make them feel so special and of course, welcome.

I like to be able to choose healthy food for my children. I don't like McDonald's because everything is deep fried and the fruit in the fruit bags tastes of chlorine. The toy is a good idea, speedy service is appreciated and so is the organic milk, but more needs to be done with the food in my opinion.

My daughters are now teenagers so our needs have changed since we first started visiting McDonalds. Cleanliness has and always will be important, and I find McDonalds are usually great at making sure tables/floors are cleared and clean. We tend to choose McDonalds when we want something quick - in the middle of a shopping trip for example. Less likely to choose if we have more time.
One discussion we have almost every time we visit McDonalds is "why is there no lamb on the menu?" (we're sheep farmers, so it's close to our hearts!) Can't believe there is still no lamb burger/kebab available. Also, what about a slightly healthier option to a McFlurry? Maybe a fresh strawberries and icecream/fruit salad and ice cream? Will just add, my daughters love the McDonalds Monopoly - that's great for the slightly older children and they can't wait for this year's to start!

I’d like to be able to grab a couple of McFlurrys and a coffee.
It’s sound in principle but the reality is I stand and wait nearly fifteen minutes.

Clean tables, allergies listed in the menu and clean toilets.

I would like there to be an option to have a chicken or veggie burger in the happy meals.

Also 2 sizes of happy meals as some children can't manage one (my 5 year old) But others it's not quite enough but I'm not willing to let her have an adult meal (my nearly 10 year old)

Maybe the option to have the happy meal without the box as some older children/adults like the small meal but don't need or want the box. Saves on waste.

Also clean, accessible toilets so many are tiny it's a nightmare trying to get in with a child.

I have a teenager who is vegetarian so I like to make sure there is enough choice for her, Macdonalds have very little choice and no option at all in the Happy Meals, she is a bit old for these now but it’s about time they offered a vegetarian choice. We do eat in Macdonalds about once a month usually when we are in a rush after swimming!! It’s clean and not expensive so a decent option.

We have a 14 yo DD and used to all enjoy going to Cafe Rouge in our town until it closed down, there was always something that each of us liked. As another mn said, appropriate portions and prices for teenagers would be a good idea as they are too old for happy meals/ kids meals but full size grown up portions are often too big and expensive. She doesn't like burgers but doesn't always want nuggets when at McD.

I would love a place that has healthy food options but is also buggy friendly and has high chairs that either pull up to the table or have a tray section on them and space to park the buggy next to the table.

Not so much now that they're teens but we used to look for somewhere that offered decent food in child portions.

In an ideal restaurant this would involve the main menu meals being available in smaller portions not just the standard "sausage and chips/fish finger and chips" etc meals which lack imagination and variety.

We also like going out with friends and their children but it can be difficult to find somewhere that the seating is flexible enough to seat you all together

I think our only consideration when eating out is tasty food! We don’t have fussy children so we choose what we (the adults) like to eat and there is usually always a child friendly option. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a restaurant that doesn’t cater to children to be honest!

We have four children, two have severe allergies to egg and milk.
The most important thing to us is that the restaurant provides a choice safe food and clear allergy labelling.

Mac Donald’s is good at their allergy labelling. It’s an easy to use and detailed allergy menu. We love that the chicken nuggets etc are egg and dairy free.

What really really frustrates me (and it’s not unique to Macdonalds) is the absolute lack of safe pudding options for children with egg/ dairy allergies. it would be nice to be able to treat them to a pudding when we eat out sometimes.

Love your safe allergy practice and menus though, it’s always our “pitstop” option when travelling as we can be confident the food is safe

Separate, unsalted fries for the kids would be great- at timed I have sat a wiped the visible salt off of my child’s chips. Kiosk ordering is great but so many restaurants aren’t able to cope and the food arrives after a long delay and is cold!

At McDonald's, I'd like a kid-friendly milk bottle with a spot in the foil cap to easily pierce for a straw. I always use my keys to dig a hole but I'd rather not have to - or resort to a cup and lid which is wasteful.

I'd like happy meal fries to be unsalted as the norm not having to ask.

Noooo!! Don't take the cheeseburger away from the happy meal !! Ds2 spends a happy half hour picking all the cheese off to eat before the burger and then the bun if there's room.

I don't mind my family having Macdonalds every now and then.
I think it's important that the restaurant is clean and all tables, chairs and sides are wiped after every use. That it is a friendly environment that is suited to families.
I also think it's important that there are enough options, including healthy ones that the children can choose from.

Can we please have one high fat option in the Happy Meals, or you're going to lose thousands of customers who take their kids there just to get as much fat into them as possible. I know I did, when DS1 was a child.

Decent high chairs that are clean and either have a tray or go right up to the table. Somewhere to park the pram, and enough room to wheel it through the restaurant without knocking into everyone else! Healthy kids options, not too loud music and welcoming staff who don’t give you dirty looks of your DC throws their food all over the floor. Ooh and a toilet cubicle big enough to wheel a pram into!

Cleanliness of the restaurant
Not being cramped near to other diners
And Quick service is a plus

Quick service, cleanliness and good changing facilities

Also friendly staff who are happy to help you!

Definitely clean highchairs, nothing worse than having to wet wipe someone else's dinner off the highchair before putting the baby in it.

And variety for younger kids/toddlers, my dd is 2 and I often see the menu just offering her things with chips/beans. I do like that McDonalds have that colouring paper and crayons though, maybe put new ones in there more often though they're always broken at my local McDonalds

I'd like there to be a few more more vegetarian options and the food to be hotter when served.
Ditch the plastic toys for something else instead. They are so wasteful and usually end up in landfill which isn't great. It might also be nice to serve drinks without straws and just keep them behind the counter. If people really need them then they can ask for one, but lets face it, most people can drink without one. Like the plastic toys, they are an environmental disaster.
Car parks need to be cleaned more frequently. Our local one is full of empty wrappers and seagulls/crows.

Slightly smaller portions for children, but not different food. A great drinks list, not just fizzy pop, good atmosphere, staff that joke and chat with children, nibbles on table right from the start, and keen prices.

Clean tables/highchairs. A good healthy choice of kids meals ( a smaller version of adults meals is well received in our house). Helpful staff and table service are always appreciated.

Clean highchairs and plenty of space for a pram.