75% of families eating out in restaurants more regularly

30-Oct-2015 - Last updated on 27-Apr-2021 at 11:43 GMT

Families are eating out together more frequently than they did five years ago. Photo: Thinkstock

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Three quarters (75 per cent) of families are choosing to eat out together in restaurants more frequently than they were five years ago, according to a report commissioned by French restaurant chain Le Bistrot Pierre.

The survey of 785 people on their eating out habits as a family found that 57 per cent see the main reason for eating out in restaurants as 'quality family time together', ahead of a family celebration and socialising.

Almost half of the families questioned said quality of food was the most important thing when choosing a restaurant to eat out in while value followed closely behind. Sixty-three per cent of those surveyed said they preferred restaurants that offered an activity pack for children.

Activity pack

The survey was carried out by Le Bistrot Pierre ahead of its work to create its own children's activity pack to be given out to young diners at any of its 14 restaurants.

The company worked with artist and mother-of-two Julia Whitehead to compile the pack which includes 14 French-themed puzzles, games, story writing and Ou est Pierre? game and is presented in a striped paper-bag with a set of crayons.

le-Bistrot-Pierre-kids-pack — Le Bistrot Pierre's new children's pack includes a Where's Wally-style puzzle called Ou est Pierre?

Rob Beacham, co-owner of the business and father of three children said: “Quality family time can be hard to factor in at home surrounded by distractions, so the Bistrot Pierre family felt that a meal out together would be the perfect time to put away phones and tablets and really enjoy each other’s company.

“That’s why we have chosen to invest in our younger customers to create something really special for our activity pack."

Whitehead said the packs, given out to children eating from the £6.50 children's menu, were designed to help bring families together during the meal as well as keep children entertained.

“I tried to come up with something fresh and different to anything I have seen before in a lot of chain restaurants," she said.

“Having young children myself means that I am very aware that within two minutes their attention is lost; I don’t want to rely on smart phones or ipads to keep them happy, and I don’t think other parents should have to either.”