October 12, 2017
9-year-old Cecilia Hollingsworth's interpretation of summer. Image courtesy of Neiman Marcus
Department store chain Neiman Marcus is helping its smallest shoppers dine healthily through a menu developed in collaboration with local Girl Scouts.
Working with the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas and Dallas’ Medical City Children’s Hospital kids teaching kids program, Neiman Marcus created a new Kid’s Fit Menu that will be used in its 43 in-store restaurants. Part of the retailer’s the Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation, the initiative enables the company to support children with arts education.
Girl Scout grub
The menu of nutritious, kid-friendly foods was created by culinary students from two high schools in north Texas. The teens were guided by dieticians from the Medical City Children’s Hospital, which also partnered with the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association and the Texas ProStart program on the project.
Dishes include “confetti spaghetti” made with quinoa pasta and zucchini boats with ground beef, vegetables and smashed potatoes.
Decorating the cover of the menu is artwork created by Girl Scouts. The girls were taught about the four seasons, and asked to pick their favorite.
Instructors then covered which plants and animals flourish in their chosen season. This education inspired their drawings for the cover.
Four girls had their artwork chosen for the menu cover, one per season. The cover will rotate among the four illustrations to reflect the current season.
Each of the chosen artists’ troops receiving $1,000 from the Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation. In addition, all girls who submitted art were awarded a specially created Neiman Marcus badge, which is in the shape of the retailer’s butterfly insignia.
Neiman Marcus' Girl Scouts patch. Image courtesy of Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus has been using the butterfly as a logo since 1971, choosing the morphing creature as a symbol of grace, beauty and change.
The new menu will roll out to Neiman Marcus stores in October, which is National Arts and Humanities Month.
“Our little shoppers will be thrilled with the new menu,” said Kevin Garvin, vice president of corporate food services at Neiman Marcus, in a statement. “We are excited to provide them with healthy options as they begin their tradition of dining at Neiman Marcus.”
While adults make the reservations, hotels have been catering to kids with amenities and activities for pint-sized guests, creating a relationship from a young age.
The Peninsula Paris is the latest hotel to devote extra attention to its youngest guests.
The hotel has unveiled a number of programs, taking place both on and off the property, aimed at ensuring children make the most of their visit. Hotels have seen the writing on the wall, and child-friendly initiatives are now a focus for luring vacationing families (see story).
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