We had a playdate last week in Bastrop, Texas not far from Austin. Bastrop is a decent sized town (they’re large enough to have a Lowe’s or Home Depot – I can’t remember which) so when planning our playdate, we included lunch at a real kid-friendly restaurant. In the a.m., we’d play at one of the city parks (Fisherman’s Park is pretty nice) and then eat lunch somewhere. As we’re hanging out at the park, conversations start with other parents (local parents) and I’m asking about the real kid-friendly restaurants in town. I’m told there are NONE! I was floored! This town has a McDonald’s (ol’ reliable for RKF) and it didn’t even have a playscape. The sentiment from each of the parents was the same – disappointment.
One woman offers a small restaurant just outside of town. She says they have a small kitchen and play area and they’re “very kid-friendly”. She’s telling me this while her very active 4-year-old son is bouncing off the park bench which leads me to believe that she knows of which she speaks. So, we try it – “try” is the key word. This place was so not kid-friendly that Boe almost turned the lights off to the restaurant in the first 2 minutes! Yeah, the light switch is by the front door and low enough for a 2-year-old to reach! We’re looking around this tiny little place wondering where the kid-friendly part is. It was at this point that I realized that not only is “kid-friendly” used loosely in the restaurant biz, it’s used very loosely in the parent world! How she would get that little boy that I saw wiggling around on the bench to stay entertained in that place is a mystery to me. There was a small kid’s picnic table with some cute decorations painted on it – Boe looked at these for 12 seconds – and some books (very rip-able) on a shelf. And I know that this would work for many kids but that’s not what RKF is about so I blog.
The friend who was with us had her two children (who can sit for more than 5 minutes) and even she was surprised that this had been referred to as a “kid-friendly” restaurant.
We ended up eating at Schlotzsky’s; which, in a pinch can work. They have an outdoor dining area that (if you block the entrance to the parking lot with a chair or your body) can keep the Boe’s corralled.
Who knows, maybe one day, we’ll change the definition of kid-friendly to be on-target. Here’s hoping.
In the meantime, if you plan to open a restaurant in Bastrop, Texas, you would be well advised to add either a playscape or sandbox. You’d be the talk of the under 10’s and their parents.
jeannine: waddlee-ah-chaa
Okay, I was partner to this “real kid friendly” dining experience. I was shocked that this restaurant was recommended to an active toddler. I’m sure it was a great restaurant but it was very tiny, quiet and any kids who “played” would disrupt everyone’s dining.
My goal as a parent is to relax while eating without ruining other’s dining experience. So to me if it is really kid friendly, there is a place where children can be children and parents can relax without worry that their children will get hurt or disturb any other diners. So it must have a real play area.
Thank you to all of the restaurants who serve good food and provide a play area for children. We parents love these restaurants!
August 13, 2010 at 4:47 PM