Dennis Pfaff, chief operating officer for FIC Restaurants Inc., parent to the full-service Friendly’s chain, and Gillian Begin, its brand and research manager, spoke with Nation’s Restaurant News about the Wilbraham, Mass.-based system’s makeover of its kids’ offerings and the investigations that led to it, including playful interrogations of summer campers.

Also touched on along the way: the impetus for the changes, marketing moves supporting them, kid-centric server training, early guest responses and initial business results, including those around delivery.

Kids and families are important business for restaurants, as they not only bring higher numbers to any order, but also present an opportunity for brands to resonate with the little ones in ways that can translate into traffic-building loyalty.

This podcast was originally recorded just days before the nationwide closure of restaurant dining rooms by governmental jurisdictions looking to slow the spread of novel coronavirus. NRN decided to hold its release until dining rooms began to reopen and operators would welcome ideas and examples of how to appeal to and serve children and their families both on-premise and, with some adaptation, off-premise.