Throwing a birthday party for a small child can be stressful for parents, and they may be too busy to find the time to cook for their little ones' big days. Your restaurant can expand its current catering business by appealing to parents throwing large or fancy parties for their children. Here are a few ideas to put on a special kids' catering menu to help make your catering business stand out.

DIY Mini Pizzas

Kids lke to do things for themselves to show just how big they are getting. Why not let them show off their skills by creating their own birthday pizzas? For this menu item, you'll need to make sure you can set up equipment to bake the pizzas on-sight, but you can save time by pre-baking the pizza dough so you only need to warm it up enough to melt the cheese. Have a selection of traditional and unique toppings ready for the kids to build their own pizza. Some unique pizza toppings might include:

• Barbecue sauce
• Corn
• Chicken nuggets
• Hot dogs

Mini Food Samplers

Mini foods are perfect for kids birthdays, as they let the tiny tots sample a wide variety of foods. They are also the perfect size for picky eaters to enjoy. Consider creating a buffet of mini foods, or give your customers a menu of several mini foods they can choose from to create their own buffet. Pizza bagels, mini corn dogs, fruit skewers, sliders, and small cobs of corn are all great options. You can also get a little creative by making smaller versions of meat loaf and mashed potatoes or even mini quesadillas. Keep a supply of small plates in bright colors at the buffet to complete this idea.

Milk And Cookie Bar

Not everyone likes cake, so it's a good idea to have an alternative to it on your catering menu. A milk and cookie bar is easy to set up, and it gives kids access to all of their favorite snack treats. Create a menu of cookie options to choose from, including chocolate chip, sugar cookies, butter cookies, and oatmeal raisin. Serve milk in glass jars with large straws, and offer some options for flavoring the milk with delicious sweet syrups, such as chocolate or strawberry.

Be sure to discuss any food allergies that children attending your catering events might have, as this can help you to adjust the menu and take the proper steps during food prep to avoid cross contamination. Work with your staff to create a delicious kids' menu that is easy to serve, and offer it to customers interested in catering kids' birthday parties and other celebrations.