Ember Inns no kids policy

[MelMack]

I live in the Cassiobury area of Watford, which is cram packed with young families as it's near a great school & park.
The only pub in the area is the Essex Arms www.emberinns.co.uk/theessexarmswatford/, which is run by Ember Inns, who do great food but have a no kids policy (except in the garden - which in this instance is a strip of concrete next to the car park, where the smokers also have to go).
I've emailed them & brought it up on their Facebook site, asking them to consider letting kids in (you just have to see the sheer number of parents who walk past to see the amount of business they're missing), to no avail so far.

I'm starting to think about canvassing the other locals to see if it'd be worth starting a campaign to make it more family friendly, based on the demographics of the area.

They are popular with the child-free, due to that policy, and of course I don't have a problem with child free pubs, I just want it to reflect the area.

Am I being mean or reasonable?

i don't think you can force them to accept children if they don't want to
they're obviouisly doing well with the non-child clientele which they'd lose if they changed their rules

do you really want to go to a place that you know is only open to you under duress??? i wouldn't

I think, if you don't like the admission policy of a pub you should find a different place to eat that accepts children rather than attempting to force an adults' pub into opening their doors. The car-park/smoking/family garden is doubtless deliberately kept unappealing for good reason and if they have good takings from satisfied customers, why would they change?

YABU

If it's popular with the child free why do you want to change it? Are you really concerned about the business they're losing, or just on a crusade here?

Why would you want to take children to a pub?

Totally unreasonable. There are plenty of places you can take kids to. I don't object to anyone (wheter with no children, or just left them at home) wanting an evening out without being subjected to my child's fun and frolics.

dont do it! I love going to the ember inns by me when i have a night off from DD, for the very reason that it's adults only. When you have a lovely, rare evening out for a quiet drink, the last thing you want is other people's children running about being noisy etc.

btw, I'm all for kids in pubs, we take dd quite often of an evening. It's just nice that there are some that remain a kid free zone

If it bothers you that much, open yer own pub

I hate child friendy pubs btw. Getting pissed and looking after children do not mix.

YABU - It is up to them. Whilst I was mightily peed off at a similar policy myself when desperately searching for somewhere for dd to use the toilet (we had been stuck for hours in traffic becasue of an accident) if somewhere does not want to admit children i tis their absolute right.

yabu

why do you think you can tell them how to run their business?

cant you go somewhere else????

You are being ridiculous. You cannot lobby a private enterprise to reflect your own interests better. The pub is not a public service.

When you say 'reflect the demographic of the area' does that mean that child free people who happen to live in an area where there are lots of children should have nowhere to go where there won't be children running around. Or, indeed, that parents living in the area have nowhere to escape to on a night out?

YABU. go elsewhere.

Justgoogled, and many pubs in that area.

go to cha cha instead?

YABU - you have mentioned it to them, they don't want to change. Why should they change to suit you? They can do what they please - if it suits them to have an adults-only policy then that is no doubt because they have looked at the "demographics of the area" and decided that there is a market for what they are offering.

If you don't like what they are offering, then go elsewhere.

I don't think you should ever "start a campaign" to try to convince a business that they should do what you want instead of what they choose to do. You have said it yourself "They are popular with the childfree" - exactly! They have a market, they are going for that market.

YA definitely BU - I love a drink more than the next person and, especially in this lovely weather, have been on long walks with the kids culminating in a swift pint in a beer garden but it's surely totally up to the landlord - it's great if there's a child-friendly pub but, as has been said, it's not a right!

yabu

child friendly pubs are grotesque

LOL at Mrs Badger

cha cha cha indeed! have you SEEN the menu!!!

yes, but I've had more bad lunches than I care to count at the Ember Inn near work

Its ok to have adult only pubs, but what if you can't find a trustworthy baysitter, I see your plight. But there are other child friendly pubs in the area, is it because you always get nominated to drive, like me?

it doesnt look a bad menu,well cheap as well

Well, you can hardly lobby a business to change it's policies and allow kids in because you don't have a babysitter. It's a pub, not an essential service.

swanandduck - agree generally with your point - but please! A pub is an essential service