Here we go again with the child-adverse masses out to squelch any sign or sound of youth from their daily lives. Cappy's Pizza in Florida is the latest establishment to jump on the bandwagon by officially banning rowdy kids with a ridiculously patronizing sign right when you walk in the door.
It reads: "Parents for the safety and comfort of everyone if you allow your child to run/scream/or misbehave, party will be asked to leave." Kids are completely banned from the back patio. Talk about giving a parent indigestion before she's even ordered. If I saw a sign like that when I walked into a restaurant -- especially a pizzeria decked out with video games and other stuff that caters to kids -- I'd be walking right back out again.
It's not that I don't think a restaurant has the right to ask a family to leave if they can't control their kids. I don't want to dine next to unruly ruffians (mine included) either, and I empathize with the business owner who says he's had things broken or stolen by out-of-control kids. On Facebook, owner Scooter Gabel wrote, "My dining room goes from being a dining room to a bounce house with the arrival of some families." However, it's the assumption that MOST kids can't be trusted to behave nor can their parents be trusted to handle the situation appropriately that I can't stomach.
If they want to ask individuals who are disruptive to leave, I'd support them 100 percent, but why the need to insult all parents -- most of whom DO control their children just fine, thank you very much? And why just limit it to children, how about anyone who misbehaves? I've seen plenty of loud, obnoxious (usually drunk) adults disturb my dining experience too.
Yesterday my husband took my mom and me out to a lovely four-course lunch for Mother's Day in a fancy restaurant with lots of champagne and more silverware per place setting than my children had ever seen. Was I nervous that my 3-year-old might get tired and act out in such a setting, or that my 8-year-old would start trouble with her? Sure, but I was also prepared to take them out (or make my husband take them out since it was Mother's Day) at any minute if they did. Guess what? They behaved beautifully during the entire two-hour ordeal (and played a lot of games on the iPhones). Some days it may not have gone like that, but I bristle at the assertion that I as a parent won't handle whatever happens.
Sure there are parents who don't, but in my experience, they are the exception rather than the rule, and the rest of us shouldn't have to be treated like second-class citizens and be warned just because we have children. It's rude and condescending, and frankly, it's bad business.
Do you think it was rude of this restaurant to put up a sign like this?
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Comments 104
I don't think it's rude. I feel like we are living in a society now where many parents think their child is perfect, god's gift... Little Bobby is screaming? "Oh, isn't he so cute?!" Little Suzie is running around the restaurant? "Oh, she's such an active little thing. Future Olympian."
No, signs like this are becoming more and more necessary. I was at the movies yesterday and missed at least 1/4 of it because of some kid screaming.
I don't think it's rude. Sure, most of us know how to handle our kids and will take our children out of the situation if they get too disruptive. But there are way too many parents who do let their kids go crazy. And by putting the sign up, you're letting those parents know ahead of time that their children's unruly behavior will not be allowed AND that they will be held accountable if they can't control their children. And I'm sorry, but the parents who do control their children, we are the exception these days, not the rule.
Why is this in anyway offensive. They have the right to refuse service to customers who are disrupting the whole place. So they have an adults only patio? A lot of places have outdoor areas for 21+ so people can hang out outside smoke and drink.
I have seen drunk adults acting unruly in public as well, and there are laws against public drunkeness for that reason. I see no problem with a private establishment setting rules and expectations for children's behavior. They have a right to protect their property and ensure a pleasant environment for families that do know how to behave.
Agree with all the above comments - my mother always raised us to be on our best behavior when we are eating out, even if it's fast food. I can't stand to see people's brats running around, screaming, throwing fries, crying, spilling drinks, throwing up on tables and playing in said throw up as mom ordered the waitress to clean it up (true story, saw it with my own eyes and nearly threw up myself) ... Discipline is a rare thing to find, and I think it's cool that this restaurant has an area where adults can go and enjoy themselves, sans children.
If you're kids are behaving then.. what's the problem with the sign exactly? "Oh look, this will take care of any unruly kids, glad mine are fine and we have nothing to worry about!" This sign is only a problem if your kids are a problem. I see enough children running around, knocking into people, throwing their food, screaming, crying, wailing, and otherwise just being a brat to wish more places would have rules like this. Especially places like Red Lobster, where you are paying alot for a meal, not a headache.
i once saw a sign that would be more effective and less condescending: "any unsupervised/misbehaving children will be given expresso and a free puppy!" LOL