

Any parent who has ever taken their kids out to dinner at a fancy restaurant knows how frustrating it can be if their youngsters start screaming, crying, or making a scene in the middle of a quiet dining establishment. While trying to get them to be calm and content, feeling the judgmental glares from the surrounding customers or employees can just make the situation even more stressful. Of course, on the other hand, it is also not so great for the fellow diners, who just want to sit in peace and quiet as they enjoy their meal out. However, should families with children be kicked out of certain restaurants when their kids act out and disturb those around them? A Mediterranean restaurant in North Wales has been facing a mixed reaction of criticism and praise after their strict list of rules of how children should behave in their establishment was shared on the Internet. While some people commended the restaurant for their policy, others believed their threat of throwing out parents with crying kids to be just too much. List of rules A 52-year-old charity manager named Helen Hyland was left in disgust after dining at a popular Mediterranean restaurant in North Wales during her vacation. As the woman sat down to look through the menu, she noticed something peculiar on the last page. At first, it seemed as if just a normal informative list for diners, providing details about allergy warnings as well as payment options and minimum orders. However, as Hyland kept reading, she came upon a section that read, “Children Welcome.” Sounds nice enough, right? As she read the two lengthy paragraphs that followed, however, she soon learned that it wasn’t just a note, but a list of rules.

Always seated The set of guidelines one must follow when bringing kids into the restaurant was quite alarming to the Hyland. First off, the list began by demanding that, “Children must be seated at all times, not left to run around the restaurant.” Then, they gave an explanation for this rule, which they claimed was for safety purposes only. “The restaurant can be a very dangerous place; staff carrying hot plates etc,” adding that they will “not be held responsible” if a child gets “hurt in the restaurant because they are not being looked after.” While this note isn’t all so bad, parents should of course be looking after their children and making sure they are out of harm’s way after all, do parents or guardians really need a threatening remark in their menu to assure this?

Solely responsible Next in the list for parents came the part where the management wanted to make clear, once again, that they are not responsible for anything harmful that could happen to their kids while dining at their establishment. “Children are the sole responsibility of their guardian whilst in our restaurant,” they wrote. “Children must be accompanied to the toilets,” which they said again was “for health and safety reasons.” Then, they informed families with kids that if they have a child under eight years old they “will be served with melamine plates and bowls,” which again they said was strictly for safety reasons and “due to our porcelain plates being served hot.”

Eat in peace However, the worst of it, which was the part that really put Hyland in disbelief, was the section that was titled, “Crying/Screaming children.” This paragraph began by the management claiming that they “love children in the restaurant,” adding, “but we do understand that when children are crying or screaming in the restaurant it does upset other customers.” Of course, any parent who has ever brought their children out to eat before knows how stressful it can be when their kid starts to lose their patience, act out, or shout in public. And usually, those said parents also would like to eat their meal in peace and try to do everything possible to make their child content.

Being considerate The restaurant management then continued on about how ‘disturbing’ loud children can be for the other customers. They wrote, “Customers do not come to listen to screaming children,” adding, “We ask in the most polite way possible, please if your child is crying/screaming, please take them out of the restaurant until they’ve calmed down.” In the letter, it seemed as if the owner understood that the rules might offend others because they wrote, “I really do not want to upset anyone,” claiming that it is only because they have “had complaints in the past.” They explained, “You have to understand people do not come out to listen to crying/screaming children,” urging their customers with young ones to “please be considerate to others.”

Asked to leave At the end of the restaurant management’s long-winded written speech about appropriate child behavior in their establishment, they revealed the outcome that will result in a child who continues to ‘upset’ their other customers. “Unfortunately, if a child cannot be stopped from disturbing other diners,” they warn, “we will unfortunately have to ask you to leave the restaurant,” which they claim they “really would hate to do,” adding, “I know it would offend and we’d hate that too!”

Different take Before angrily leaving the restaurant, Hyland – who was on vacation in the resort Wales city at the time – decided to snap a picture of the rules from the menu and shared it with her followers on social media. When uploading the post, the fundraiser charity manager wrote, “I always remember Mediterranean restaurants encouraging and welcoming children,” and then added, “But this one was in Wales, and they clearly have a different take on things there.”

Stressful enough Of course, Hyland had no idea just how many people would see and react to her post – which went on to receive thousands of likes and shares and was suddenly getting discussed all over the Internet. Parents, especially, have publicly slammed the restaurant’s policy, such as 36-year-old mother-of-one, Jo Huggins, who found the rules to be inappropriate. “Taking kids to a restaurant can be stressful enough without the threat of being turfed out for upsetting someone,” she said.

Not fair Huggins, who claimed to be all too familiar with the stress involved in trying to calm down a crying kid in the middle of a restaurant or other public area, offered an alternative to the list of demands and threats. “They should be encouraging kids not to cry by making it as child-friendly as possible,” she said. Then, she asked, “What if there was a disabled child who was upset – would they kick them out?”

No problem However, others seemed to have no problem with the rules whatsoever, and even commended the restaurant for setting some guidelines in order to make their dining experience more enjoyable. “This is fantastic!” one Facebook user commented, “more restaurants should do the same.” Another wrote, “There is nothing worse than being out on a nice quiet evening and some rowdy kid is ruining it for everyone. Parents need to understand if you can’t control your kids then you shouldn’t take them out.”

In favor Even some parents seemed to agree with the child behavior guidelines the Mediterranean restaurant set. “Being a mother, I always make sure I choose family friendly restaurants,” she commented. “I have to agree with the rules this restaurant has set out.” Another mom replied, “I have five kids and totally agree. Nobody wants to deal with somebody’s ‘brat’ running around your feet,” urging parents who want to go out to eat to, “Get a sitter.”

Good idea Many people even praised the restaurant’s rules for a screaming kid and said that they would go out of their way to eat at establishments such as this one if they knew this policy was set in place. “Love it. I’d definitely frequent places that had these rules,” one person commented as another wrote, “Where is this restaurant and please may I have a reservation?” Some even gave parents with ‘unruly’ kids who disagreed with the guidelines an alternative option such as “take them McDonald’s.”

First complaint Since the photo from their menu went viral, the restaurant’s owner – who has decided to decline from giving her name – has spoken out about the incident. According to her, she doesn’t understand why Hyland made a big deal out of the rules in the first place, and revealed that she is the first customer to have complained about it. “We have not had one single complaint about this,” she said, “and it has been in the menu for ten years.”

For safety purposes The owner also defended the list of guidelines families with young kids must abide by when frequenting her restaurant. She claimed that they were put in place years ago for safety reasons above all else, and also to prevent any accidents that could occur due to mischievous children. “I think it is ridiculous that anyone could have a problem with this. I don’t understand,” she stated. “We are walking around with hot food. Children have to be seated.”

Rambling on and on Something to be noted about this addition to the menu is that it is in two giant paragraphs. Perhaps the rules would have been less threatening if they were in a short, sweet, and to the point list as opposed to overwhelming chunks of text. Imagine sitting down at the restaurant with your family and seeing in bold the words “Children Welcome” and then following by a rambling set of rules that they have to follow if they wish to eat there.

Why welcome children then? This set of rules could lead people to wonder why the restaurant even welcomes children in their establishment if they are going to be so strict about their behavior. If they want to restrict the kids eating in their restaurant so much, then perhaps they should just not allow them at all? That way the parents know and don’t have to be stressed during their meal. It seems a bit extreme, but then again, kicking someone out if their baby is crying can also be considered extreme.

Keeping the atmosphere Obviously the reason the restaurant has this real is stated that it’s for safety. However, they also probably want to keep with the atmosphere of their establishment. The truth of the matter, however, is that sometimes kids – especially babies – can be unpredictable and things can happen. If stressed out parents just want to take their kids out for a nice meal, should they be punished if one happens to start crying? Any parent knows that sometimes littles ones are inconsolable. Surely other goers would understand right?

Place of business Something to remember however, is that restaurants are places of business. This means that they have to keep in mind the comfort of all their customers, even if it means restricting a few. They know that if people truly want to come to their restaurant, they will follow the rules and everyone will have a pleasurable dining experience. They also have to think about the liability and safety risks that a child running around a place of dining could cause.

Keep them behaving Most people don’t want to deal with screaming or running kids while they are trying to enjoy a meal; this is just a fact that parents and non-parents alike can all probably agree on. So, it would seem like those who bring their kids to this restaurant will simply have to abide by the rules. They can do everything they can to keep their children behaving so that everyone can eat in peace. And then, course, if they don’t behave they’ll be taught a valuable lesson.

Controversial ban Of course, this isn’t the first time a restaurant made some guidelines when it comes to young diners. A little while back, Caruso’s, an upscale Italian restaurant in North Carolina, faced some criticism after banning all children under the age of five in their establishment. According to owner Pasquale Caruso – a dad of two himself, he had received several complaints from customers in the past due to misbehaved kids who were making messes, running all around, and shouting. “I had several customers complain, get up, and leave because children were bothering them,” he explained.

Business boost After putting the ‘no kids under five’ ban in place, Caruso received some harsh criticism about his decision. However, while some people judged the high-end restaurant’s new exclusive stance, many others applauded the restaurant for doing something to ensure a pleasant and peaceful dining experience. Despite the negative feedback that he received, Caruso claimed that since the new no-kids policy, he has actually seen an increase in business from around 50 to 80 customers a day.

Starting a trend In the last few years, we have actually seen an increase in these types of child behavior policies at restaurants. Not long ago, Cuchara, a Mexican restaurant in Houston, Texas, got some attention for their own rules when it comes to their young diners. Instead of a page of rules listed in their menu, however, they pass out cards to each family once they arrive that reads, “Children at Cuchara don’t run or wander around the restaurant. They don’t scream, throw tantrums, or touch the walls, murals, windows or anything of the other patrons. They are respectful!”

Causing damage Apparently, Cuchara’s owner, Ana Beaven, decided to hand out these cards after being forced to shell out $1,500 to fix a mural on one of their walls after it was damaged by a kid who had seriously scratched it with a coin. “His mother was texting at the table,” she recalled. “We talked to her and she was almost aggressive.” Beaven also claimed that the mother said her kid was just “expressing himself” and offered to pay just $40 for the costly destruction.

Not allowed A beloved seafood restaurant in Monterey, California, Shake’s Old Fisherman’s Grotto, has also placed a ban keeping noisy kids from entering their dining room. They caused quite the stir after leaving a sign near the front entrance that says, “Children crying or making loud noises are a distraction to other diners, and as such are not allowed in the dining room.” While some customers saw this as a relief, parents with small children saw the sign at the entrance as a ‘you are not welcome here’ warning.

Turned away Customer and mom Niki Riviere was left in complete disbelief after she brought her young child to the seafood restaurant and was refused a high chair for her six-month-old baby. Apparently, the restaurant had also placed a ban on strollers, booster chairs, and high chairs. “I’m completely shocked because I never had that happen,” said Riviere. Usually they cater, at least have a high chair for the child, but it seemed like they didn’t want any child. They said the child can’t make any noises so they turned us away.”

Abide or leave The owner of Shake’s, Chris Shake, is still defending his controversial restaurant policy despite the complaints that he has received since putting it in place. He believes that if a parent doesn’t like the guidelines, then they can take their children somewhere else to dine. “If a place has the rules, that’s what the rules are,” he stated. “You go in and abide by the rules or you find a place more suitable for you.”

Stay home At the end of the day, if people have a problem with children being near them in a restaurant, they just just stay in and eat at home instead of dining out. However, the same can be said about those with children and disagree with the rules. Basically, it makes sense that someone might not want a screaming child running around while they eat. But, it also makes sense that parents deserve a break and should be able to go out every once in a while with their kids.

Wanting something different While many people suggested that parents who disagree with the list of rules can just go to child or family friendly restaurants instead, that may not always be what they want to do. Not everyone wants to go to Chuck E. Cheese’s or McDonald’s every day with their family. Sometimes, they want to get the chance to sit down and have a normal meal that doesn’t consist of pizza or chicken fingers. Most places have kids menus anyway, so sometimes they just want something different.

Losing business The whole dilemma begs the question of whether business who ban or restrict kids – or those like this one that have a set of guidelines – lose business from what they are trying to accomplish. Well, as we mentioned above, some places actually see a rise in business after putting restrictions in place. Because of this, it would seem that more people actually agree with what these restaurants are doing than those who disagree. After all, the owner did say this was her first complaint in ten years.

Making them pay Another thing to consider is if these customers with children are refused service right away, or only once their child acts up and causes a disruption. According to this menu, the restaurant owner states that they would only be asked to leave if there was a problem. That being said, what if the family was in the middle of their meal? Does this mean they wouldn’t get to finish eating? Would they have to pay for the meal if they don’t?

Right to their rules In the end, establishments are usually able to set their own rules and guidelines for how their customers should act and behave. An example of this is the whole “no shirt, no shoes, no service” rule that many restaurants and shops have in place. There are also many high scale places that require their guests to dress appropriately and wear formal wear. Because of this, perhaps it is perfectly acceptable for some eateries to require kids to be on their best behavior for the sake of the other diners.