How Kids’ Beverage Tastes Drive Sales

Today’s youngest consumers, Gen Alphas, born between 2010 and this year, pack a lot of purchasing power when it comes to beverages.

The latest statistics show that parents go out of their way to find drinks that children love and will frequent locations that sell them. In fact, 31% of parents with Gen Alpha children say that whether or not a place has “interesting beverages tailored just to kids” helps them decide whether to go there.¹ And, 52% of parents also let their kids pick what to order when visiting a restaurant.²

Keeping kids in mind when designing your beverage menu makes sense, but don’t expect to stop with milkshakes and lemonades (though, they remain kids’ favorite drinks). Gen Alphas have become surprisingly sophisticated beverage consumers.

Here are seven ways to make your beverage menu more kid-friendly to keep kids—and their parents—coming back for more.

1. Borrow ideas from kids’ favorite foods. We’re all familiar with them: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pancakes, candy, you get the picture. But with a little ingenuity these favorites can cross over into irresistible beverages for kids. Who can resist a s’mores milkshake?
2. Go global. Being internet natives and multicultural means kids today are rather worldly. So, include drinks from other countries like a mango lassi, a yogurt-based smoothie-like drink popular in India, a bubble or boba tea, from Taiwan, or Latin American drinks like aquas frescas or on-trend mangonadas, a fruit slush combining mangoes with zesty flavors. And when it comes to hot drinks, Mexican hot chocolate continues to grow in popularity.
3. Health is important…at least until it’s not. While most parents today are concerned about what their kids eat and drink, they also realize that sometimes kids have to be kids. So, they’re also open to their kids having an occasional milkshake, slushie, or—for the older teens—an indulgent, dressed up-iced coffee.
4. Don’t forget the favorites. These include juices, milk, chocolate milk, smoothies, water (try on-trend flavored waters for some variation), flavored lemonades like watermelon, raspberry, pineapple, or cherry, and for older kids, sports drinks.
5. Allow for playability. Kids like to interact with everything. So, enabling them to play with, or customize, their beverages will make them happy customers. Serve their milkshake with a variety of add-ons, such as nuts and whipped cream, or let them create flavored waters by adding slices of fresh fruit like on-trend honeydew or berries.
6. Packaging matters. Go the extra mile—literally—by serving your drinks in spill-proof cups to go. Kids beverage packaging should also be fun, so include unusual straws and colorful cups. And create appropriate portion sizes for little hands and thirsts.
7. Price and variety. Expense was the top challenge parents say they have dining out with their kids, followed by not enough variety on kids’ menus.¹ Offer special promotions, loyalty programs, or food and beverage combo deals. A separate kids’ beverage menu will go far in pleasing customers both young and old.

_{Sources: 1. A Guide to Gen Alpha (Datassential, September 2023). 2. TrendSpotting Vol. 116 (Datassential, August 2023).}

^{The information provided is based on a general industry overview and is not specific to your business operation. Each business is unique, and decisions related to your business should be made after consultation with appropriate experts.}