Eating Out with Kids

Giving a gift card can be a little underwhelming when compared to opening an actual present. Luckily, instead of just handing someone over a card, there are unique ways to spruce up the gift a little. By adding an extra touch, the card can come off as more thoughtful and sincere. When you purchase gift cards for the best bar and grill in town, there are five unique ways to give the card. Each method caters to the restaurant theme while giving you ideas for holidays, birthdays, and other special events.

Restaurant To-Go Container

When you purchase the gift card at the local restaurant, request a bag and a to-go container. This allows you to serve up the gift card like you're giving leftovers from the actual restaurant. When you're requesting the bag, look for restaurants that have their names and logos on the bag.

A small to-go container is ideal to fit the gift card. To prevent it from sliding around, add in some tissue paper. This also helps add a festive touch to the gift giving.

Gift Card Date Night Package

Instead of just supplying a gift card for dinner, you can make it a complete package by adding gift cards to other businesses in the area. The date night package can also include gift cards to places for desserts, movies, or other forms of entertainment like bowling.

It's a good idea to package these gift cards in a basket or box so that they are presented well. If this is a gift for a significant other, then consider adding the gift cards to a special gift like a bouquet of flowers. It's a great way to offer a date night and feature the bar and grill gift card of your choosing.

Digital Gift Cards

A lot of restaurants now offer digital gift cards that can be emailed or printed. Instead of forwarding the gift card to a person, you can still give it to them in person. By saving the digital gift card as a PDF file, you can place it on a flash drive and give the flash drive as a present. Take things a step further by presenting the gift card on a novelty food flash drive.

Food flash drives include different shapes like a hamburger, slice of pizza, or a sushi roll. The food theme will be evident when they receive the flash drive and then they can be surprised even more with the gift card that is digitally loaded onto it.

Gift Card Clue Game

Instead of giving the present away instantly, you can add a little mystery to the gift giving. With a restaurant, there are a number of different ways to do this. Each method can add a nice creative touch to your gift.

• Menu Pieces: Grab a copy of the restaurant's to-go menu. Cut out difference pieces of the menu and paste it on a sheet of paper. The person can then use those pieces to try and guess the restaurant they are receiving a gift card for.
• Digital Map Scavenger Hunt: Write down clues on to how to find the location of the gift card when searching on a digital map. This can include exact coordinates or a variety of directions like "Follow the river until you reach the town of Baltic."
• Gift Card Puzzle: Print out the logo to the restaurant and cut it up into small pieces. The person can then maneuver the pieces to form the logo and figure out where their gift card goes to.

Fake Letter

If you're mailing the gift card, change things up a bit to fool the person. Instead of mailing a traditional card, set up an envelope to resemble some type of bill. What will start out as an annoyance will transform into a pleasant surprise as the person opens the envelope. On the inside, you can have the gift card wrapped in a piece of paper with a message about fooling or tricking the person. Including the local restaurant menu is an easy addition to the envelope.

Going out of your way to add the extra touch can help create new gift card traditions and showcase your love to family and friends.