Kids Menus Remain A Bright Spot For U.S. Takeout Restaurant Industry

Jeremie Bohbot

LOS ANGELES , June 25, 2014 (Off The Menu) – With the U.S. takeout restaurant industry having to deal with an increasingly health conscious customer base, and with the sector struggling to attract millennials due to their eclectic taste (think brioche buns on burgers), the children’s menu seems to remain a bright spot.

According to an analysis of orders placed on GrubHub, a leading online and mobile food-ordering company in the U.S., kids’ menu orders have shown consistent growth of about 40% annually since 2012, and 17% of takeout restaurants now offer a kids menu section.

Jonathan Zabusky, the president of GrubHub, said convenience, variety and time pressures could explain the rise in kids’ meal takeout. Additionally, he implied that when a parent’s favorite restaurant features options for kids, parents can then order a meal for the entire family.

Also, kids traditionally have simpler tastes commonly found on most takeout menus. According to GrubHub, traditional childhood favorites such as chicken tenders, burgers, pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches remain the most commonly ordered kids' menu choices, while breakfast options such as French toast and pancakes are showing the most growth.

There’s the old saying that children are the future. For takeout restaurants, that’s especially true.

Nevin Barich is the Food and Beverage Analyst for Industry Intelligence. Email him here or follow him on Twitter here.

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