Ankara’da Bulunan Beş Yıldızlı Otellerin Çocuk Menülerinin Değerlendirilmesi (Evaluation of Children's Menus in Five-Star Hotels Located in Ankara)

Şule DURU ÖĞÜN; Semra AKAR ŞAHİNGÖZ

doi:10.63556/jotags.2026.1850

Authors

Şule DURU ÖĞÜN
Semra AKAR ŞAHİNGÖZ

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63556/jotags.2026.1850

Keywords:

Children’s menu, Menu planning, Hotel restaurants, Healthy eating, Parental preferences, Child nutrition

Abstract

Menus function not only as tools for presenting food and beverages but also as strategic instruments that shape customer preferences and support businesses in reaching their target markets. This study aims to examine the availability of children’s menus and evaluate their content based on fundamental nutritional and service-related criteria in five-star hotels operating in Ankara, Türkiye, holding a Tourism Operation Certificate and offering à la carte restaurant services. A qualitative case study design was employed to obtain in-depth insights into children’s menu practices. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 12 managers and executive chefs working in the food and beverage departments of 10 hotels. The findings revealed that three of the hotels did not offer a children’s menu, while the menus provided in the remaining establishments were generally inadequate in terms of nutritional balance, diversity, and planning structure. The results indicate that children’s menus are predominantly shaped by operational constraints, cost considerations, and customer demand rather than a systematic and health-oriented planning approach. Furthermore, the limited use of feedback mechanisms and the lack of continuous menu development processes were identified as key shortcomings. The study highlights the necessity of adopting a more holistic approach to children’s menu planning, integrating nutritional balance, visual presentation, and experiential design. Based on the findings, several practical and applicable recommendations are proposed to support the development of healthier and more balanced children’s menus in hotel restaurants.

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Görsel Kaynaklar

Gurunavi Japan. (2022). Sample kids’ plates at Japanese family restaurants. Retrieved July 2025, from https://gurunavi.com/en/japanfoodie/2022_kids_menu

KidZania Tokyo. (2023). Healthy and balanced children’s meal served in character-themed tray. Retrieved July 2025, from https://www.kidzania.jp/en/tokyo/food/menu