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Kids' and Teens' Restaurant Eating Habits - US - June 2009

SCOPE AND THEMES
What you need to know
Definition
Data sources
Mintel Menu Insights
Consumer survey data
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
Terms
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Recession causes consumers to dine out less
All segments affected
Change is everywhere—forcing restaurants to adapt
The family dynamic
Kids population to grow through 2014; teen growth expected to be flat
Teen spending
Health on the kids’ menu
The value of entertainment
Little variety on the kids’ menu
Focus: McDonald’s—the power of the brand
Dining out with kids and teens
Where kids dine
Who they dine with
Parent’s perspective on why and where they take kids
What the parents say about dining out
What the kids say about dining out
Decision-makers and influencers
Keeping kids’ attention at restaurants
INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Key points
Health on the kids’ menu
Eliminate the veto factor
Navigating the future of menu transparency: focus on the kids’ menu
Make kids’ menu interesting, not generic
What we’ve seen—if you offer healthful food, kids will eat it
Give kids the opportunity to eat something different
INSPIRE INSIGHTS
Authenticity
What's it about?
What we've seen
Restaurants as communication instrument
Applications
Trust In Me
What's it about?
What we've seen
Application to the restaurant industry
MARKET FACTORS
Restaurant industry recession continues, but the bottom may be in sight
Figure 1: Restaurant Performance Index, current situation, and expectations, November 2007-April 2009
Consumer confidence undermines willingness to spend at restaurants
Figure 2: Consumer Sentiment Index, by quarter, 2001-09
Figure 3: Restaurant spend compared to last year, February 2009
Families pull back on restaurant spend—all segments affected
Recession reshapes the family dynamic
Increasing number of potential child diners in the U.S.
Figure 4: Population by age, 2004-14
Fewer jobs for teens means less spending
RESTAURANT INNOVATION AND INNOVATORS: HEALTHY MEALS
Key points
Spinning health on the children’s menu via freshness
Removing the “bad” fats for better health positioning
Figure 5: Incidence of fat claims on children’s menus, 2005-Q1 2009
Nutritional choices… please!
Figure 6: Incidence of nutritional claims on children’s menus, 2005-Q1 2009
Casual restaurants offering more choices but fast casual tops with healthy offerings
Figure 7: Incidence of nutritional claims on children’s menus, by restaurant segment, Q1 2009
RESTAURANT INNOVATION AND INNOVATORS: ENTERTAINMENT VALUE
Key points
Fast food operators have strong kid appeal
“Happy Meals” attract kids with toys and licensing tie-ins
The “Playplace”
Cheap eats provide time to socialize
Innovators in full-service targeting families
Engaging table activities
Playtime
RESTAURANT INNOVATION AND INNOVATORS: VARIETY
Key points
It’s the same old thing on kids’ menus
Figure 8: Top 10 dishes on children’s menus, 2005-Q1 2009
Fast casual and fine dining offer some “different” types of kids’ dishes
Figure 9: Top five dishes on children’s menus, by restaurant segment, Q1 2009
BRAND QUALITIES: WOOING KIDS
McDonald’s: The evolution of becoming the restaurant for kids
McDonald’s: The Power of the Brand
Figure 10: Children’s self-reporting restaurant usage, by restaurant, by age, March 2009
The question:
The answer:
RESTAURANT USAGE: PARENTS’ PERSPECTIVE
Key points
Adult restaurant usage and mean usage
Figure 11: Adults usage and usage frequency of restaurant segments in past month, March 2009
Figure 12: Adults usage and usage frequency of restaurant segments in past month, by gender, March 2009
Figure 13: Adults usage and usage frequency of restaurant segments in past month, by selected HH income groups, March 2009
Number of times children brought to restaurant: usage and mean usage
Figure 14: Usage/usage frequency of bringing child/children to restaurant segments in past month, March 2009
Figure 15: Usage/usage frequency of bringing child/children to restaurant segments in past month, by gender, March 2009
Figure 16: Usage/usage frequency of bringing child/children to restaurant segments in past month, by HH income, March 2009
RESTAURANT USAGE: KIDS’ PERSPECTIVE
Key points
Overview
Figure 17: Children’s self-reporting restaurant usage, by restaurant, by age, March 2009
By age of child
Figure 18: Children’s self-reporting restaurant usage, by restaurant, by age groups, March 2009
Figure 19: Children’s self-reporting restaurant usage, by restaurant, by gender, March 2009
Teen and kid usage of restaurants by day part
Figure 20: Teen use of family restaurant/steakhouses and fast food restaurants, by daypart and race/ethnicity, October 2007-December 2008
Figure 21: Kids’ use of family restaurant/steakhouses and fast food restaurants, by daypart and race/ethnicity, October 2007-December 2008
WHO GOES WITH KIDS TO RESTAURANTS: KIDS’ PERSPECTIVE
Key points
Overview
Figure 22: Who kids aged 6-11 go to restaurants with, by restaurant, March 2009
Figure 23: Who kids aged 13-17 go to restaurants with, by restaurant, March 2009
WHY PARENTS BRING KIDS TO RESTAURANTS
Key points
Overview
Figure 24: Reasons parents bring child/children out to a fast food restaurant, by age of child, March 2009
Figure 25: Reasons parents bring child/children out to a full-service restaurant, by age of child, March 2009
Reasons parents bring kids to fast food restaurants: demographic analysis
Parents of kids aged 1-5
Figure 26: Reasons parents bring child/children aged 1-5 out to a fast food restaurant, by gender and parents’ age, March 2009
Parents of kids aged 6-11
Figure 27: Reasons parents bring child/children aged 6-11 out to a fast food restaurant, by gender and parents’ age, March 2009
Parents of kids aged 12-17
Figure 28: Reasons parents bring child/children aged 12-17 out to a fast food restaurant, by gender and parents’ age, March 2009
Reasons parents bring kids to full-service restaurants: demographic analysis
Parents of kids aged 1-5
Figure 29: Reasons parents bring child/children aged 1-5 out to a full-service restaurant, by gender and parents’ age, March 2009
Parents of kids aged 6-11
Figure 30: Reasons parents bring child/children aged 6-11 out to a full-service restaurant, by gender and parents’ age, March 2009
Parents of kids aged 12-17
Figure 31: Reasons parents bring child/children aged 12-17 out to a full-service restaurant, by gender and parents’ age, March 2009
KIDS’ DINING OUT ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS: PARENTS’ PERSPECTIVE
Key points
Overview
Figure 32: Kids’ dining out attitudes and behaviors, by age of child, March 2009
KIDS’ DINING OUT ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS: KIDS’ PERSPECTIVE
Key points
Overview
Figure 33: Dining out attitudes and behaviors: Children’s perspective, by age, March 2009
Figure 34: Dining out attitudes and behaviors: Children’s perspective, by gender, March 2009
LIMITING KIDS’ FOOD CHOICES: PARENTS’ AND KIDS’ PERSPECTIVES
Key points
Overview
Figure 35: Parents’ food choice limitation rationales, by age of child, March 2009
Figure 36: Children’s self-reporting ordering behavior, by age, March 2009
Figure 37: Children’s self-reporting ordering behavior, by gender, March 2009
KEEPING KIDS’ ATTENTION AT RESTAURANTS: PARENTS’ PERSPECTIVE
Key points
Overview
Figure 38: Keeping children’s attention at restaurants, by age of child, March 2009
Demographic analysis
Figure 39: Keeping attention of children aged 1-5 at restaurants, by gender, March 2009
Figure 40: Keeping attention of children aged 6-11 at restaurants, by gender, March 2009
Figure 41: Keeping attention of children aged 12-17 at restaurants, by gender, March 2009
CLUSTER ANALYSIS
Utilitarians
Who they are
Opportunity
Bonders
Who they are
Opportunity
Humdrummers
Who they are
Opportunity
Cluster characteristics
Figure 42: Kids’ and teens’ eating habit clusters, March 2009
Figure 43: Frequency of bringing child/children to restaurant segments in past month, by kids’ and teens’ eating habit clusters, March 2009
Figure 44: Reasons parents bring child/children out to a fast food restaurant, by kids’ and teens’ eating habit clusters, March 2009
Figure 45: Reasons parents bring child/children out to a fast food restaurant, by kids’ and teens’ eating habit clusters, March 2009
Figure 46: Kids’ dining out attitudes and behaviors, by kids’ and teens’ eating habit clusters, March 2009
Cluster demographics
Figure 47: Kids’ and teens’ eating habit clusters, by gender, March 2009
Figure 48: Kids’ and teens’ eating habit clusters, by age group, March 2009
Figure 49: Kids’ and teens’ eating habit clusters, by income group, March 2009
Figure 50: Kids’ and teens’ eating habit clusters, by race, March 2009
Figure 51: Kids’ and teens’ eating habit clusters, by Hispanic origin, March 2009
Figure 52: Kids’ and teens’ eating habit clusters, by age of children, March 2009
Cluster methodology
APPENDIX: ADDITIONAL CONSUMER TABLES
Parents of kids aged 1-5
Figure 53: Kids’ aged 1-5 dining out attitudes and behaviors, by gender, March 2009
Parents of kids aged 6-11
Figure 54: Kids’ aged 6-11 dining out attitudes and behaviors, by gender, March 2009
Parents of kids aged 12-17
Figure 55: Kids’ aged 6-11 dining out attitudes and behaviors, by gender, March 2009
APPENDIX: TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

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