Kinderkookkafe: The Restaurant Run by Kids
Kinderkookkafé is a family restaurant in Amsterdam that is run
entirely by children: they cook, serve, bring the bill and wash up, all
with a little help from the friendly grown-up staff, of course. The
simple set menu includes main course and dessert: ingredients are fresh,
the food is healthy and prices are very low. Reservation is usually
required to get a table.
The place is part restaurant, part
cooking school and part day care. Parents drop their kids off in the
afternoon and return to eat the meal the children have made. While the
kids are there, they are taught how to cook, serve and wait. With the
help and supervision of two adults, and a reservation, kids can prepare
dinner on Saturday, and bake cookies and pies for high tea on Sunday. If
they want to, they can join the kitchen brigade with other kids or just
relax with their families and enjoy the meal.
Picture menus
are provided looking at which kids can make sandwiches, milkshakes, and
bake cakes. The ingredients, necessary cooking items, and instructions
are all at their level. Children can do everything here -- cook, wait
tables, wash up, serve behind the bar (soft drinks only), and write
checks. The basic idea is to teach kids how to be responsible and
helpful by cultivating that behavior in a fun and child-friendly
environment.
