Mums have attacked a Petone cafe for not letting them park their prams inside, but the cafe owner says their negative 1-star reviews are unfair and misleading.

Faith and Co Cafe is a new 70-seater licensed premises that opened late last year in the Firemen's Apartments complex.

The cafe has been hit by multiple negative 1-star reviews, many claiming it is not child friendly. Five one-star reviews were posted on August 4 alone.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF Faith & Co Cafe in Petone doesn't allow buggies and prams in the cafe when two designated areas up front by the window are full.

One mum posted: "Not at all child friendly like advertised. My family and two kids were asked to leave this afternoon because we had kids and a pram. Apparently it was too busy, despite there being free tables which we tried sitting at. Very disappointing!" She wouldn't comment further when contacted by Stuff.

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But cafe owner Faith Proctor says decisions on whether buggies and prams can stay or not are based on a wide range of issues, particularly safety.

She has two spots up front by the window where buggies can go. When they are full she says buggies can't go elsewhere because it's not safe.

"I had to jump through many hoops costing many thousands of dollars to assure the council I was going to make sure there was egress for every single person in my cafe. I have to please the council. I have to please the fire service with egress, I have to look after my other customers."

A Hutt City Council spokeswoman said the cafe's operation is covered by a number of regulations, only some of which are enforced by the council.

With regard to these, the spokeswoman in a statement said:

"It is a requirement of the Building Act and Building Code that the building owner and/or operator ensure their buildings are safe for the public and that they are following the compliance schedule that has been set out. It is their responsibility to police this and they may disallow certain activities if they feel that this will impact on their responsibility to protect public safety.

"In reference to food safety, it is unlikely that food safety would be compromised by having pushchairs blocking movement around the café, however it may present a hazard, which is covered by other pieces of legislation."

In December last year one mum said she was told she couldn't sit in a certain area with her 18-month-old in a pram and she could only sit at the front of the cafe by a window. "I wouldn't go back and I wouldn't recommend this cafe to anyone with young children," she wrote on Proctor's cafe page.

And in May a mum wrote: "Tried to go here today for a coffee with a friend and our little ones and didn't even make it through the door before we were told there was no room. There was 3-4 available tables and clearly a very spacious cafe so room for the buggy although we would have been more than happy to leave buggy at the door. Very disappointed."

Proctor says she's upset she is being attacked online for being unfriendly to children when none of the mothers have talked to her face-to-face about issues over prams or buggies in the cafe.

"People don't know my personal [situation], how many children I have had, so I'm not a child hater at all. But that is how it comes across to people who don't get their way, basically.

"If you were here half an hour ago, you would see that I do let them in. There was a lovely woman with her little baby, and you know I have some fabulous customers who come in, kids and all in tow, and they are all very welcome.

"I have to make sure children are not harmed. I have huge public liability insurance, and it's just so much more, but unfortunately I can't explain that to people."

The Food Act requires an operator to ensure the design of the premises enables staff, visitors and food to move safely, and to flow in a way that prevents and manages risk.

Proctor says spaces between tables and chairs were measured with a tape measure as part of her consent process. Being licensed also meant other strict controls on space.

"It's unfortunate because I know people are thinking 'ugh you don't want pushchairs' but I have to be very responsible for everyone."

She says she has a lot of babies, children and buggies in the cafe - "I had a woman who booked the other day and said 'pushchair and kids in tow'. I had the opportunity to speak to her and it was fine. I knew where she was going to sit."