How many times have we heard the phrase, “Kids these days?” How many of us stop to ponder what that truly means? The destiny of the world rests in the hands of “kids these days” so where exactly are “kids” going to take us? Is there something to fear in the way “kids these days” will run our planet in the future days to come? The most important factor to the growth and character of children is their upbringing and family environment.

Insanely and sadly, families never get the essential bonding time that they need in order to grow and form important morals and values. Bright ideas can come from just about anyone. Bright ideas that change the world, on the other hand, come from individuals with a lot of love and positive character. We need to focus on a bright idea that pulls families together to create that love and character so that more bright ideas can be formed in the future. The next bright idea should create positive family bonding time in order to create positive attitudes from the children for the future.

  My idea is simple. Brilliant ideas don’t need to be complex. My dream is to create a restaurant. Not just an ordinary restaurant, but a family oriented one. In my restaurant, it will not be about being served a classy, delicious meal for a pretty penny. The goal of my restaurant will be to create classy, delicious meals together as a family. Creating a meal together as a family will provide time together, which is priceless. Families would be able to come into this restaurant and instead of the traditional, "order and wait an hour for your food" tradition, they will be able to prepare their own meals together. This creates positive bonding time. Through that bonding time we allow them to improve family communication by providing a goal (a meal) helping them to work as a team, time to understand each other, and a positive bonding experience to last a life time.

  I would like to have an elegant, yet child proof environment where families are able to sit down and create the meals and desserts they have prepared together. The menu will have a variety of healthy, filling meals that families can choose from. There will be a choice of vegetable, a choice entree, a choice of fresh prepared bread, and a dessert. Prices will depend on the size of the family and individual selections. Each item will have an individual price and be added to per person. Children five (5) and under will eat for free. This allows struggling newer parents to really provide that necessary time with their little children since by age eight (8) a child’s morals and sense of structure are defined. This, ladies and gentlemen, does more than help our future. This changes beautiful innocent little lives.

The restaurant will include several small areas where the families can spend time preparing their meal with the guidance and assistance of a friendly, bubbly staff member. Staff members will be carefully chosen out. The effectiveness of the time these families spend together, will be greatly determined on whether the restaurant consists of a loving and enthusiastic staff. Staff would need to be well trained in sanitation, value customer service and safety, as well as present themselves in a hygienic and approachable manner. The kitchens will be designed like a common house kitchen to create a comfortable "at home" environment. This environment encourages a more personal and deep experience between family members. The dining area on the other hand, will have a more elegant setting created with cool greens, whites, and light blues. These colors are often associated with openness, calm, and pure moods that will help create a positive atmosphere for the families to enjoy their dining experience. Food will be served on plastic, child proof, elegant looking dishes and drinks poured into plastic wine glasses (with lids for the children) to avoid safety hazards. 

Creating a restaurant is costly, but very feasible. A well written and intellectual business plan would be more than necessary for a successful start. There would also be a large amount of food costing that would need to be reviewed frequently. Determining whether buying or leasing would be the best option for the company, would also need to be put into great consideration. Creating a restaurant starts with a goal, followed by a plan of action. I do believe with the proper organization and leadership skills this business will be an incredible financial success, however that is not my primary intention. My idea isn't about making a huge profit, it is about giving Lansing a new look on the values of family. It is about giving family a better future. It is about giving our future a brilliant life. Cooking and eating together is the perfect opportunity for parents to encourage and display good manners and improve social skills especially between the parent and child. It also gives that much needed time to just simply discuss what is going on in life. 

Statistics show that families that enjoy their dinner together as a whole tend to be physically, mentally, and emotionally healthier. They also show that children, who eat with their families rather than on their own, have a higher chance of future success. They tend to avoid legal trouble, drugs, and reckless behavior more than children who eat on their own. You are probably thinking, "Why does the Lansing area need another restaurant for?" In 2009, Michigan had over 30,700 child neglect cases confirmed by investigation. 30,700 of our future holders of new and bright ideas, experienced hurt and pain due to lack of family bonding. Just to have one more thing that families can do together, may create an amazing decrease in horrible statistics.

In conclusion, Lansing doesn't need "just another restaurant." Lansing, along with other cities like it, does in fact need a place where families are joined together at an important time of the day, and that is at dinner. This isn't just a restaurant. It’s a place where morals and values will be formed to benefit the future leaders of the Greater Lansing area. I believe that the Greater Lansing region would benefit from a little extra family time. Keeping families together and happy is the foundation for not only a better region, but a better America. Let's take the necessary steps to uniting families for meal time, and creating an encouraging atmosphere where bright ideas can be formed. Let's start here in Lansing.