One of the keys to building a restaurant brand with potential is to create a brand that equally appeals to Moms, Dads, and kids. It’s why growing brands like The Buffalo Spot have developed family-friendly business ideas to keep the whole clan returning.
We’re looking at some of the ways leading restaurants work to create a family-friendly franchise atmosphere and how they stack up against the way we target parents and kids and build lasting relationships with them at The Buffalo Spot.
1. Chili’s — Special Family Pricing
The bright neon pepper part of Chili’s branding is a common sight in most cities in the country. This restaurant chain has gone through many family-friendly business ideas over the years, including rewards programs that give customers discounts on kid’s meals and a “3-for” flat rate deal.
Those options are changing with the times, though. The former basic “3-for-$10.99” offer has shifted to a tiered system that reduces discounts.
A Corporate Feel
Beyond the pricing issues, though, are other considerations that impact family-friendly business ideas.
Chili’s has more than 1,600 locations in countries across the globe. That can give the brand a large, impersonal atmosphere to families looking for brands with a personal touch.
By contrast, The Buffalo Spot makes sure that every location has a unique flavor all its own. It’s how we encourage the families who visit us daily to feel connected to our restaurant.
2. The Buffalo Spot – Flavor, Rewards, and Family Appeal
We built The Buffalo Spot with families in mind. We’ve designed our brand to keep things local and engaging to people young and old, with family-friendly business ideas we use daily to help us keep our franchise in touch with each customer’s wants, no matter their age.
It starts with an app-based rewards program built from scratch to be easy to use. Customers get points with every order and can redeem them for special treats, deep discounts, and birthday rewards.
Wings, Tenders, and Shakes
We’ve built our menu to give kids and parents the kinds of foods they can love.
Our world-famous Buffalo Fries are the beginning — we’ve got wings and tenders with heat levels from Mild to Atomic for adults and kids who love finger foods with character, and we offer a menu of salads and more for folks with a taste for freshness, crunch, and flavor.
We prepare everything we serve onsite and to order, and families can get them in our custom Family Packs to keep costs within reach of most households.
Find out how you can become the next franchise owner at The Buffalo Spot, and put our family-friendly business ideas to work for you!
3. IHOP — Kid-Friendly Menu Items
When people think of breakfast spots in town, the International House of Pancakes is often a place that comes to mind.
The brand has built its reputation on big platters of sit-down food, and they make family-friendly business ideas part of their approach.
That’s evident in their kid’s menu.
Children can choose between standards like chicken & waffles, chicken strips, and mac & cheese, as well as more whimsical options such as the Happy Face pancake, Jr. Cupcake, and seasonal selections like the Scary Face pancake for Halloween.
A Focus on Breakfast
Unlike The Buffalo Spot, which can be the right choice for families no matter when they’re hungry, IHOP keeps its primary focus on a single part of the day.
The brand offers lunch and dinner items, but it made its reputation on its breakfast items (it’s even in the brand name!), and the fun items for kids are centered on breakfast as well. That can limit its appeal for families searching for a place that’s right for anytime, day or night.
4. Cracker Barrel — Activities
Cracker Barrel works hard to create a down-home country feel at its restaurant locations. This brand serves hearty meals and breakfast all day with rocking chairs lined up on their porch and an attached store full of knick-knacks.
The chain is all about activities and utilizes them as one of its key family-friendly business ideas. Checkerboards and peg games are part of the dining experience to help keep kids busy and having fun while they eat.
Keep It Simple
The Cracker Barrel menu can sometimes overwhelm families who don’t want to deal with page after page of options, though.
Compared to the menu at The Buffalo Spot, where we focus on the favorite dishes that made us famous and keep the menu simple, a trip to the Cracker Barrel might overwhelm a family just looking for classic meals for kids and parents alike.
5. Denny’s — Kids Eat Free Day
Regarding family-friendly business ideas, offering free meals has always been an agreeable option for restaurant franchises. It’s been part of the Denny’s brand for years.
The Denny’s diner chain offers a “kids eat free” promotion to attract cost-conscious families.
Accompanying adults must order an entrée of $6 or more, and locations often restrict the offer to a specific period on a single day of the week.
Meal Quality Counts
Children can be as discerning as their parents regarding food quality, which can be a concern at Denny’s.
The brand controls costs by opting for ingredients like liquid eggs, dehydrated potatoes, and frozen food. That way of operating can allow them to offer promotions with deep discounts, but it might be an issue for customers regarding flavor.
And quality is where we shine at The Buffalo Spot. We work with vendors who meet our strict standards for freshness, and every dish families enjoy at one of our restaurants is prepared for them right then and there.
Help Us Revolutionize Family-Friendly Business Ideas and Become a Franchise Owner With The Buffalo Spot!
At The Buffalo Spot, we’ve built a brand with family appeal. Find out how to become a franchise owner with us today!
