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

It'd be great if Mcdonalds could introduce a free-from range; gluten-free buns, lactose free cheese, gluten-free veggie-burgers, lactose free desserts etc.

It's tough living with allergies as an adult but, for kids, it is even harder because they feel like a complete oddball if all their friends are eating burgers and ice cream and they're having chips and a salad (which is very overpriced and all options contain meat apart from the side salad).

Personally, we rarely go to McDonalds because of its lack of free-from and vegetarian alternatives- Love Thy Burger and Taco Bell both provide really good meals for people with multiple dietary requirements. However if McDonalds did provide free-from and vegetarian alternatives we'd definitely go more often.

Add fruits or smoothies to happy meals. Clean seats and tables are very important for kids.

I look for restaurants that offer a half plate, or smaller version of their main menu. My Dd doesn't want a burger or chicken nuggets ( the usual kid menu options) she wants to order from the "proper" menu but hasn't the appetite for an adult sized portion.

There are a number of factors that determine whether we will stop and have a bite to eat whilst out. Speed is one option, and choices that everyone will eat. Also cleanliness - I can't bear cafes where there are tables full or dirty crockery and half eaten food, but servers continuing to take people's money for food. It just makes it feel a really off-putting environment in which to eat.
Decisions about (proper) meals out involve considering choice of cuisine, budget, location. But food 'on the hoof' is much more about convenience, range, speed and cleanliness.

I really like a lot of the recent changes in Mcdonalds.
Ordering yourself is great and being able to custamise - have a child with allergies so good to be able to adapt a meal taking of the things she can not have
Table service great, makes experience more enjoyable
Happy meal toys here too often end up in the bin, but know the kids do like the idea of them. Not sure what the answer is to that one.
One thing I would like to see is options to add things to the wraps. I am often watching my weight when I take my daughter to Macdonalds and have a wrap, Ideally I would like a Grilled Chicken Salad wrap with lettuce, tomato and onion (as it would be a healthier option) - this option is not available (although all of the ingredients are - but which ever wrap I choose I can only have some of the things I would like and take off the things I don't want on each one).
I have noticed the option to add items now to a hamburger so maybe this is coming for the wraps to if so it would be great - especially if it is available for the wrap of the day.

My niece is celiac - so another request for gluton free bun

Clean everywhere, good knowledgable service and a more modern inclusive menu. In recent years there has been a massive surge in places offering gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options.

I would also like to see McDonald's actively go organic and free range.

Healthy but filling.

So often the alternatives to chips is a fruit bag or salad. I end up going for the chips just so that we are full.
Options such as oven cooked wedges or pasta would be great.

Cleanliness. A reasonable number of high chairs suitable for babies and young toddlers.

In general smaller portions of 'proper' food offered rather than just a chips + kids menu. We do often end up in McDonald's because it's fast and cheap and you know what you're getting.

Often struggle to find space for my pram when I go anywhere that serves food. Also if it's a pay at the till fast food type place there's often not enough space to manoeuvre the pram once you've paid (Costa comes to mind). Baby changing facilities are important to me too.

I choose restaurants which are easy to manoeuvre around with a buggy, have toilets on the ground floor and employ people who smile when they take your order. I don't expect special treatment for having a child but I do appreciate a bit of kindness and a spotlessly clean high chair.
When it comes to McDonald's, my only wish is that the grapes would come pre-cut!

Quick service; space to seat everyone comfortably with room for pushchair or somewhere safe to store it; not having to leave kids at table alone/or trek them all up to the till if I’m the only adult there; good selection of balanced meals and drinks on the menu - for adults and kids; staff that are trained on how to serve children. Activity packs/toys/balloons always go down a treat too but it’s never a main reason for going somewhere. Quick service is absolutely number one on my list though. There’s nothing worse than waiting half an hour + for your food when you have young children in tow! (Frankie and Benny’s take note ). Pizza Express is an example of a chain I find really good for families.

Up to date, clear, and visible nutritional information for all meals, including those on the children’s menu (and ensuring that portion sizes are adhered to) - my eldest has Type 1 diabetes and a massive barrier to eating out for us is not being able to correctly count the carbs in his meals, or not knowing whether he is being served the correct portion.

Can you just put the cheese slice back in the veggie burger please, its not fair that we have to pay extra, when meat eaters get so many choices that are inclusive of cheese, and so many seasonal variations and promotional prices. You do one thing for vegetarians, and it's so so bland.
Also, why cant we have the bland burger in a wrap any more?

Bah

Agreed, the bland burger seemed less bland when it wasn't flanked by a bun.

Agree about the vegetarian option - dd16 is veggie and would like more choice. Judy because you're a hamburger place doesn't mean vegetarians don't visit you.. maybe with their friends, family, even if you aren't their first choice. Couldn't you provide a wrap, something spicy, veggie strips etc? There are lots of options.

I agree with what somebody else has said and would love to see McDonald's do a range of food for teens. Again, sometimes they don't have large appetites but obviously too old for a Happy Meal, also at pocket money prices.

The food has to be served quickly (no long wait), predictable (no weird surprises) with good desert options.

Not too worried about healthy options, it is all about whether it is tasty and a bit of a treat.

We eat plenty if fruit and veg at home, so when we eat out, I am not worried about that.

Clear allergy menus which include the ability to leave out the allergen part of the meal to make it suitable.

Clean high chairs & plenty of them! Fast service and a decent choice of kid’s food.

DC 11 & 14, wildly varying tastes, so need a varied menu.

We eat out rarely - high days and celebrations only generally, so when we do, we like it to be special.

Long waiting times are a PITA - the last meal we went for was an Indian and although seated at 6.45pm didn’t get food until 8.15pm, as they seemed to prioritise takeaways. It made the whole event unpleasant - hungry teenager forced to sit with parents and younger sibling for protracted time = not pleasant. Shan’t be going back there.

We usually compromise. DH always wants curry, DS always wants Nando’s, and DD always wants soup .

After the curry fiasco, we’ve decided to just go on our own for a bit!

Somewhere clean, family friendly atmosphere and I always like restaurants that do children's food for younger children and then bigger potions for older children.

My DC are getting older now and range from still wanting breaded thing + chips to being up for more adventurous options. More variety on a kids menu is always good, not just chicken nuggets / fish finger / sausage + chips and beans.

For all places, clean toilets, with a suitable number of cubicles for the size of the restuarant, with quiet hand dryers or paper towels. Also, reasonably quick service and tap water for table.

For McDs would like fruit or vegetable to be in the meal as well as fries not instead of. We don't go there often, but is always quick, cheap and reliable. But would like some fruit or vegetable in the meal.

Variety of options to tempt them to try something new

Cleanliness definitely has to have a five star hygiene rating. Healthy food items and fresh ingredients included on the menu. I always like to try something different so I like there to be something different on the menu., something you can’t get anywhere else.
I like there to be a variety of different meal options for children.
Great customer service.
Welcoming atmosphere.
Free sauces.
Would love McDonalds to do sweet potato fries.