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MNHQ

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

572 replies

EmmaMumsnet · 15/02/2018 11:12

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

Tell McDonald’s what’s important to you when eating out with your family - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED!
OP posts:
pastabest · 15/02/2018 20:41

Highchairs that fit and a gluten free bun option that isn't actually lettuce wrapped round the burger instead of bread?

I mean really how hard would it be for McDonald's to have a gluten free buns.

NotEnoughCushions · 15/02/2018 20:42

Smaller portions of the adult choices for children. Make it clear on the menu so you don't have to ask. My kids do like burgers, breaded chicken and pasta but even they get fed up of seeing the same old choices on the 'kids' menu'.

And something other than the same colouring sheets and pencils would be nice. A place recently had an 'Etch-a-Sketch' for the children and they loved that for a change. How about a family quiz sheet?

WilmaJean · 15/02/2018 20:48

Family friendly and with decent high chairs. Also space for a pram! Healthy options for kids.

ButterflyOfFreedom · 15/02/2018 20:49

Child friendly so we feel comfortable taking the DC

Healthy children's menu & drink options

Good size portions at a reasonable price

Tashap83 · 15/02/2018 20:52

Clean tables, high chairs and lots of choice for children

ohlittlepea · 15/02/2018 21:00

Cleanliness and plenty of choice.
minimal/ no queue (the kiosk system is good for this)
Enough room in a toilet cubicle for me and a toddler... (our nearest mcds has impossibly teeny toilet stalls)
lots of choice
and
If possible less plastic, and the toys marketed at both genders :) not pony for one hero for another.

xxx

GetKnitted · 15/02/2018 21:02

Just three things: happy children, full bellies, no dishes!

Crimsonpeaked · 15/02/2018 21:10

A varied kids menu with the option to tailor meals as much as possible. Healthy drinks for kids such as smoothies and milk rather than fizzy drinks. Colouring in packs are great and maybe books/toys in a communal basket.

ErinSophia · 15/02/2018 21:11

Good service and a variety of food for all the family

Hopezibah · 15/02/2018 21:22

Cleanliness is super important and McD's has it nailed! Wouldn't go to any similar rivals. I would LOVE to see properly healthier choices for the kids - I know there's the option of swapping fries for fruit bag - but really!! My kids are never going to do that! Unless it was included as well as the fries. Agree with what someone else has put about tap water - mcDonald's have always been really good about it in the past but with the new kiosk system there isn't an easy way to ask for it.

Consistently speedy service and accuracy would be good - at one of our regular McDonald's they are way slower than everywhere else. Also when getting take away on several occasions things have been missed and we only spotted that when we got home.

Shadowboy · 15/02/2018 21:25

Clean high chairs. Making sure they are not encrusted with the mess from a previous child. I like ones that don’t have a tray so you can push the child up to the table. An option for chips that haven’t been salted? I know the burgers have less salt now so I’d like to see the same with the chips.

Healthier drinks options for children. Less plastic toys- more books/soft toys etc. I hate that my kids play with the toys for 2 minutes so only to end up in landfil. If you want to improve your green credentials then go for cars/paper or fabric toys please.

A gluten free option would me amazing!

NoSquirrels · 15/02/2018 21:27

What’s important to me when eating out with my family? That we don’t end up in McDonalds! Grin

asuwere · 15/02/2018 21:36

I like places that offer smaller portions off the normal menu for kids, rather than a kids menu just with nuggets or pizza.
Also places with big enough tables - hate when all the tables are aimed at 2 or 4 people; we are a family of 6 and sometimes have to spread over 2 tables in some cafe's (and McD's!)

Personally, I don't like TV's/colouring - my DC cope at home without entertainment at the table, I'm sure they can manage in a restaurant without it.

janney3 · 15/02/2018 21:39

Perfect restaurant would have a range of natural and fresh foods with options for extras. Meat cooked to order and fresh salads.
No sugary drinks and much less plastic 'tat' and packaging.
The environment should be warm , McDonald's is always freezing and the wash room cubicles wide enough to enter.

boptanana · 15/02/2018 21:40

Options to eat smaller portions of adult menu and not everything with chips!

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 15/02/2018 21:44

My kids have McDonald's toys from 5 years ago. I know exactly. It was my 45th birthday, and 9 days before DS2's 1st birthday. He's now 6.

jhb2013 · 15/02/2018 21:44

Eating out is either a treat or a convince for us so it needs to be stress free!

I have a fussy toddler so having access to a menu online, before we go, allows us to check there is something she’d like to eat.

A McDonald’s mini meal would be good for under 4’s - a smaller version of your happy meal with 2 nuggets rather than 4, mini fries, carrot/cucumber battons, a bag of fruit and milk or water in a toddler friendly cup. Also, my eldest loves learning where food comes from. So having a mini sticker book where you stick the egg next to the chicken and the potato in the ground; or a sticker rewards chart for eating something orange, something green, something yellow etc. would go down well.

Finger food in child friendly packaging always helps. My toddler loves the independence of fruit pieces, chips, raisins, rather than having something which we have to cut up for her and help feed to her. Sometimes putting a large plate of food down in front of her is overhelming. She’d much prefer to pick at finger food.

Other things which help are:

Clean high chairs
Good baby change facilities
A buggy park, so you don’t get in other diner’s way
Colouring in with crayons that are sharp/work!
Table service/ fast ordering options
Toys which you have you put together, as this buys us 5 minutes peace! A link with Lego would be really popular.

CurvyInAllTheWrongPlaces · 15/02/2018 21:55

It would be great to see more veggie and vegan options as the veggie burger McDonald's have is not very nice. And you are clearly lacking in vegan options.
We have at times come to McDonald's but then left as no salad has been available or any fruit bags.
Having clean surfaces and toilets is very important, it would also be really good if there was more than two female toilets!

TellMeItsNotTrue · 15/02/2018 22:09

Vegetarian options, there is a big menu so why so little for vegetarians? Also should be a vegetarian option in happy meals by now, burger king manage it

Clean, family friendly, consistent meal in all branches

del2929 · 15/02/2018 22:14

a childrens menu
highchair facilities
healthy options

WheresTheCoffee · 15/02/2018 22:22

Plenty of space to sit down, salad options (for me!) and the diy order points make it easy to review the order to make sure nothing is missed!

CheeseEMouse · 15/02/2018 22:32

Quick and friendly service so that the children get going quickly with their food. And decent healthy options rather than the food desert that is usual children's menu fayre

Clares0x · 15/02/2018 22:34

A wider range of vegaterian meals and allergy free meals. As the kids just buy the same meal each time, while my other kids have a variety to choose from. Clean environment, fast service and friendly staff.
Thankyou.

DancesWithOtters · 15/02/2018 22:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

defineme · 15/02/2018 22:41

Non judgemental fellow diners, no wait time and free seats. I always take my child with sn to Mcdonalds 😊