Restaurants may be important settings for interventions to reduce children’s energy intake. The objective of this study was to test the impact of a parent-focused social marketing campaign to promote healthy children’s meals on calories ordered and consumed by children at quick-service restaurants (QSR).

Using a repeated cross-sectional study design, two urban communities were randomised to intervention (IN) v. control (C) condition. A community-wide social marketing campaign was implemented in the IN community to empower Black and Latinx mothers who frequent QSR (priority population) to select healthier options for their child.

Data were collected in 2016 at QSR located within the communities pre- and post-IN and analysed in 2017.

Parents (n 1686; n 819 and n 867 for I and C conditions, respectively) were recruited after placing their QSR order; a survey, receipt and their child’s leftovers were collected.

Calories ordered did not differ significantly between the IN and C conditions (changeadj = –146·4 kJ (–35·0 kcal); 95 % CI –428·0 kJ (–102·3 kcal), 134·6 kJ (32·2 kcal)). In a sub-analysis of only the priority audience, children in the IN community ordered significantly fewer calories compared to C children in unadjusted models (changeunadj = –510·4 kJ (–122·0 kcal); 95 % CI –1013·4 kJ (–242·2 kcal), –7·5 kJ (–1·8 kcal)), but the trend did not persist after adjusting for covariates (changeadj = –437·2 kJ (–104·5 kcal); 95 % CI –925·5 kJ (–221·2 kcal), 50·6 kJ (12·1 kcal)). Calories consumed followed similar trends.

The campaign did not significantly reduce children’s QSR calories ordered or consumed. However, a quantitatively important mean reduction in calories was suggested among the priority audience, indicating potential for community-wide promotion of healthful children’s meals.