Ban Children from Restaurants and Pubs: now!

[Queen K]

Would you make it a point to patronize a restaurant if you knew it banned children under five? Under Seven? Altogether?

Here's a restaurant that did just that: kids under 5 BANNED!

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/foodanddrink/f ... li=AAggFp5

Drastic?
Not Drastic enough?

[Jflem1983]

When I was 4 . We lived in Spain. My dad was on the rigs . He was gone all the time . I could walk into the pub alone as a 4 year old . Rack up whatever I wanted for food or dessert or cola . And Nigel the bartender I still remember his name . He would put it on dad's tab . I think there is something to be said for a family friendly pub or eatery

[vegas1500]

When I was 4 . We lived in Spain. My dad was on the rigs . He was gone all the time . I could walk into the pub alone as a 4 year old . Rack up whatever I wanted for food or dessert or cola . And Nigel the bartender I still remember his name . He would put it on dad's tab . I think there is something to be said for a family friendly pub or eatery

Agreed if u have kids. I would love to go out for dinner to a place that didn't allow kids, just my choice.

[Jflem1983]

I'm childless as well . It would create an interesting dynamic . One place would get customers without kids the other would draw families . I guess it's already set up that way . U have family restaurants witch are dying off and then u have pubs and cactus clubs. I tend to prefer pubs myself . Not many kids in a Canadian pub . Not like in Spain

[vegas1500]

I'm childless as well . It would create an interesting dynamic . One place would get customers without kids the other would draw families . I guess it's already set up that way . U have family restaurants witch are dying off and then u have pubs and cactus clubs. I tend to prefer pubs myself . Not many kids in a Canadian pub . Not like in Spain

When I go on vacation to an all inclusive resort, it's always adult only. nice and quiet around the pool!

[JayByrd]

I wouldn't seek out a restaurant that didn't allow children, but I wouldn't avoid it for that reason either. It wouldn't be a deciding factor for me. Really, I can't remember a time that my experience was disrupted in any way worth mentioning, due to the presence of children. My wife and I are parents of a five year old, who is generally well-behaved in restaurants and always has been (or at least, his issues are contained enough that they don't effect others). If just the two of us were going out, which is rare, we'd probably end up at a place like a Cactus Club or Joey's, where kids are permitted but you just don't see them much.

[Jflem1983]

Places like red Robin and Montanas do ok on being family friendly. I support a business owners right to choose whether or not they serve kids or Jerks or just about whoever they chose to exclude I'm OK with actually . Just opens the door for competition . Fair is fair

[Bsuds]

For a casual evening out it doesn't matter to us but for a celebration then we would certainly consider a no kid restaurant.
That's no guaranty though as some adults can be noisy and obnoxious as well.

[Queen K]

That happened to us a few times. Over the adult's behavior.

But the question is really about what happened to the restaurant in the news article, that they became MORE popular for taking a stand.

[TylerM4]

I've got little ones.

I support a restaurant owner in that decision. It's their business.

I must admit tho - for more common for me to be frustrated at the ADULTS sitting at the next table vs children. This "The customer is always right" thing has gone way too far. If business owners actually dealt with the poor customers properly, they wouldn't have to do things like ban children and customers that they don't want to deal with.

My kids are well behaved and won't disturb you. The reason being that the parents won't let that happen. iPAD with the volume too high good grief.

[Jonrox]

Your kids may not disturb me with their behaviour, but I feel like I need to censor discussion topics and my language when kids are at tables near us. So even well behaved kids do "disturb" me in a sense.

[Merry]

The biggest reason the presence of kids has become an issue is that some parents simply refuse to monitor their kids behaviour when in such places.

One time I saw a small child running around inside the restaurant and getting in the way of the wait staff, almost causing one of them to trip and spill hot food all over the kid. Despite the obvious danger, the parents did absolutely nothing to stop the kid from leaving her seat and making a nuisance of herself in this way.

On another occasion, we were seated in a booth that was back to back with another booth. A small child (who was obviously bored) stood on the seat and hung over the part where the booths were joined and struck up a conversation with us. This went on the entire time we were there. She was a nice little kid, but we would have preferred to talk to each other rather than engage in small talk with a 6 year old. But the fact is that, short of hurting this little one's feelings, we had no choice because it never seemed to occur to the parent's that the kid's behaviour might be annoying someone. They were busy enjoying their "adult time" while the people in the next booth were stuck "entertaining" their kid.

If people would take responsibility for their children's behaviour when out in public, there would be no need to ban children from places like restaurants. So why do so many parents refuse to control what their kids do in such places?

[Silverstarqueen]

Kids have to learn restaurant manners somehow. When our kids were really little we picked an appropriate (kid friendly) restaurant, preordered if it was slower type service, so it was ready almost when we arrived. Kids ate, and then we booked it before they had time to get into any further trouble or have a melt down (unusual once tummies were filled). IF worse came to worse, one of us took the offender outside and they missed the fun of the meal. As they got older they could last longer in a restaurant setting. I do not like to be in a restaurant where kids are really being obnoxious and the parents do nothing, but that is not common. People who are travelling don't have a lot of the same options, kids are more tired, but still some decorum can be taught, they dont have to be perfect. It's a learned art. Our kids were naturally more rambunctious than many so if our kids could do it, I think most could.

[lesliepaul]

Minstrel Café on Lakeshore had to be the WORST place to have an evening ruined by kids running around. Anyone familiar with the place knows the layout. Small stage for entertainment with what you would call a small dance floor that was also the route servers used to bring food from the kitchen. This floor area was where the "glued to their phone" mothers would send their kids to run and roll around........too many close calls with servers being run into by the kids and the mothers thinking their kids were "so cute". Then there were the mothers deciding to take pictures (flash) of their little angels..........all the while someone is on stage attempting to do what they are being paid to do..........ENTERTAIN.

To tell you the truth........it wasn't the kids, it was the parents that were the annoyance, especially in a group. Had too many evenings out there ruined by people that could not "shut the ....... up"!

[Mad dab]

Anyone who can afford to eat at that restaurant, can afford a sitter. Personally, I love it when toddlers flirt over the backs of their chairs. Children don't judge, they have no prejudice, they don't gossip, and if they stare, I don't feel like there is any beef unknown to me. I'm ok with kids, in my dining space. I'd be all for banning uptight shrews, who are incapable of sharing space with others in a public place. How about just having an Ativan menu? That might solve the problem as well...