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

Space for a pram; good high chairs; not too loud; options catering to vegetarians

When eating out with my family, the most important considerations are whether the place is clean, a good selection of options to choose from, reasonable prices, clean toilets and a friendly, ‘family’ atmosphere.
I’m put off some places (like some McDonalds) when there are large groups of teens/children congregated who aren’t actually buying food/drinks (if they were, they are totally at liberty to be there, the same as anyone else, but I’ve been to places where it’s just a place to hang out and the behaviour/language is awful).

Definitely healthier options for kids, rather than just breadcrumbed stuff with chips. Clean highchairs. If nappy changing facilities are provided, then making sure the bin isn't overflowing!

Plus don't automatically put straws in drinks, absolutely no need for all that useless plastic.

I like clean restaurants with clean toilets,clean crockery,cutlery,glasses and clean high chairs. (For some reason a lot of restaurants I’ve been to don’t clean their high chairs and I’ve had to get antibacterial wipes out of my bag and clean the high chair myself)
Nothing is more off putting for me in restaurants than poor hygiene standards.
If restaurants don’t care how grotty the public areas are, I dread to think how manky the kitchens are.

I also like decent healthy food at an affordable cost.

Something to entertain the kids, a balloon goes a long way! Cleanliness and a wide choice of options on the menu

Healthy options, no marketing or gimmicks and a clean, pleasant environment.

BRING BACK THE MOCHA! Sorry It was the best mocha I've ever had and now breakfasts aren't the same.

But to answer your question:

Fun things for kids to be entertained with so parents don't have to give them their phones and be antisocial.
Clean tables and floors
Love the private booths idea, I hate eating infront of people and the TV sounds good!
Smiley staff

I don't think there is an issue with the food, it is what it is.. that's why most people go.

Clean everywhere, the loos especially and also high chairs.
Disabled access, we don’t need it ourselves but I probably wouldn’t go anywhere that wasn’t accessible for everyone. I guess this would also mean that it would be pram and buggy accessible too.
Friendly staff and nice surroundings like decor and comfy chairs.
That’s it really.

I expect somewhere to be very clean, have food that my child will enjoy and a relaxed atmosphere.

Child menus with different options for different ages. There's a big difference between how much a two-year old and a ten-year might eat so I love it when menus include something for really young kids as well as older ones.

Clean tables and loos, friendly service and all items available is good enough for me.

Healthy adult food too which is not just salad.

Clean surroundings and toilets
Something for kids to do, stickers sheets colouring etc and quick service. We wouldn’t consider Mac Donald’s as an eating out experience other than a last resort. It’s way to over processed.

For me, its about the facilities on offer and how they are tailored to support parents. For example, having thoughtfully planned out changing facilities.

Clean eating areas, friendly staff - who are willing to wipe down the table/highchair if needed. Clean toilets and suitable hand washing facilities with plenty of toilet paper, soap and hand drying options. I hate visiting a loo where theres no paper, no soap and the dryer doesnt work.
Variety of options for the happy meal without charging extra as some options bump up the price.
Colouring pictures being available is always good and crayons.
We enjoy going to McDonalds as a family its one of the few places we get a warm welcome and no one complains about children being loud and excited.

Clean. Quick service. Healthy options. I don’t mind them having chips etc as a treat when out but I wish the happy meals included both chips and fruit. Without chips it’s not filling enough as a meal. I’ve only been with the kids once but at that time fruit bags were out of stock so couldn’t even buy them separately.

Yes to tween sized meals! DS always wants more options but the full meals are a lot.

Cleanliness and fast service.

The dc's eat at McDonald's a couple of times a month. I have to watch them eat though as they don't sell vegetarian gluten free food, not even the pancakes

It's hard to breastfeed in my local Mcdonalds as most if the seats and tables are in a fixed position.
It's also very hard to navigate the place with a pushchair and to find somewhere to park it that is out of the way

Didn't McDonald's used to do veggie burgers or have I imagined that?

Gluten free options

Princessa yes I remember breastfeeding being difficult. You have to sit sideways on the seat.

Healthier food!

Certain toys in happy meals don't interest my children but yet they're not at the stage where they would eat a bigger meal.
I'd much prefer it if they had books or something with more educational meaning behind it or even Lego, it's just a ploy to make us buy more Happy Meals = more fatty food for our kids.
I have yet to experience the table service?

Clean toilets are a must. Room for pushchairs and decent highchairs that actually go under the tables too.

And definitely polite friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Clean, tidy restaurant with plenty of attentive staff is what we look for. Good quality food and healthy options are also important to us. To be honest the only time we ever have a McDonalds is if something unexpected happens or there's absolutely no other option.

Actually having space, unlike our McDonald’s after it’s renovation. Made less seating and less space. You can barely get a pushchair round it.