New Sutton restaurant to launch autism-friendly dining

Cravings, on Outram Street, in Sutton, opened on July 30 to bring a full menu of street food and tasty burgers to the town in a bistro atmosphere.

Owner Simon King hopes to bring ‘something different’ to the area and the restaurant is now open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is open late each night with a licensed bar.

The 34-year-old is also launching autism-friendly dining, in the hopes of removing barriers to eating out to families with children or adults on the spectrum – something his own family has experienced many times before.

Simon explains: “There is nothing like this in the area in terms of the restaurant, so we wanted to go to the next stage and also offer inclusive dining – something which is really lacking in most restaurants.

"We’ve had really good feedback when we launched the idea on Facebook, and we are hoping the nights will start early next month.”

Simon has children on the spectrum, and he and his wife Stacey have often found dining out a stressful, unenjoyable experience, something that they hope to be able to change for families and autistic adults in Mansfield and Ashfield.

They will introduce inclusive dining on Mondays, a typically quiet evening for the restaurant, to allow families to dine together in a relaxed atmosphere where steps have been taken to minimise the usual negative experiences of a restaurant.

"People will be able to eat out without judgement, which is usually a big thing with standard restaurants” Simon continued.

"People can make as much noise and mess as they need to, without it being a problem, and we welcome bringing your own plates, cups or cutlery if that helps diners relax.

"We will also make sure food is an appropriate eating temperature, as we understand how difficult it can be to explain to a child they have to wait.

"Menus will be in a picture format too, so customers can see what their food will look like.”

Guests will also be sent a picture brochure prior to their booking, to allow customers to be able to see exactly what the restaurant looks like and where they will be seated, and beanbags will be available instead of rigid chairs if required.

Although the inclusive nights will only be on Mondays, Simon also wanted to clarify that the inclusive dining experience can be made available seven days a week if required.

He explained: “If Mondays aren’t suitable for some families, we can of course accommodate inclusive dining whenever we are open, so give us a ring or drop us a message on Facebook and we’ll do all we can to accommodate your needs seven days a week.

"We know exactly how it feels to actively avoid restaurants as a family, so we want to eliminate the stress and make it a dining experience where everyone can relax.”

The restaurant is open for dining and takeaway 9am until 9pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am until 8pm Sundays, with the bar open until late seven days a week.

For more information check out their Facebook page.

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