In recent years, it has been a common sight to see both indoor and outdoor play areas being added to family restaurants. Families can go together for a lunchtime treat or evening meal and enjoy a range of dishes whilst having the option to let their children play and have fun in dedicated play areas. Many restaurants will have play facilities that feature swings, slides, climbing frames or even soft play areas as part of their establishment. Clearly, there must be valid reasons for this in terms of the business and what it seeks to gain from such facilities. In this article, three of the key reasons and benefits for providing playground facilities or play areas will be explored in detail. It will become apparent that this is both a smart business move for restaurants and one that offers significant benefits to its customer base.
Repeat business
Many restaurants will incorporate a range of playground equipment on their premises, often sourced from suppliers such as www.huckplay.co.uk. They do this as they recognize that it can be an extremely effective way to encourage repeat business from families who have young children. Children will be excited by the prospect of being able to play after they have enjoyed a child-friendly menu and will often ask their parents to go back to the restaurant when the family has free time together. In addition, many fast food restaurants will offer kids meals that come with toys to entice repeat business from families. Along with play facilities, this helps the business to create an atmosphere of fun and excitement in the minds of its young customers. Put simply, businesses know that a child’s enjoyment of being at a restaurant with play facilities is one of the key ways to cultivate repeat business from the family target market.
A safe play environment
In many professionally run family restaurants, the play facilities will be extremely high quality and tested rigorously to ensure that they are safe for children. Businesses are acutely aware that if a child was injured on their site whilst using their play equipment (especially if it was subsequently proved to be faulty or dangerous) that they may be liable for legal action and compensation. As such, these play facilities are well designed and often have soft flooring materials such as rubber in their construction to ensure that any falls or impacts on the ground do not result in injury. The knowledge that such restaurants have high-quality and safe play areas is a strong incentive for parents to take their children there. Furthermore, playgrounds are essential for children’s development and well-being. They provide a space where kids can engage in physical activity, stimulate their creativity, and foster social interactions.
Time together for parents
As any parent knows, it can be difficult to spend quality time together with your partner when you have a young family. In fact, it is recognized that spending time together as a couple is a vital way to sustain a meaningful relationship when you have children. Even a few minutes of pleasant conversation together whilst the kids play in a safe play area can be integral to keeping a relationship healthy. This is why many couples will take their families to a restaurant with play facilities. They can discuss more adult topics and enjoy each other’s company whilst their children have fun on the playground facilities. In short, visiting such restaurants can help to maintain a relationship during the years when children need to be at the forefront of most activities.