Refused a table at restaurant for having kids

[marissac]

I'm thinking of going to my local news paper to name and shame this restaurant, but would like your wise opinion on it before I do.

Today was the eve of Chinese New Year, my friends decided we should have lunch at a certain Chinese restaurant in Canary Wharf to celebrate. They et extremely busy at lunchtimes so I phoned ahead to make a reservation. Greeted by the maitre d with usual formalities, asked me what time I would like the table for etc. Then when I said it was for a party of 4 adults and 3 kids he paused. Then proceeded to tell mr they were fully booked for lunch today and that they will jot be able to fit us in AT ALL (which was strange since he was asking for my name time and phone number just a minute ago). Then I heard a female voice in the background say that there is a table free until 2, to which I immediately replied I'll take it, we will be done and your table vacated no later than 1:30.

Lo and behold this male waiter then said "don't take this the wrong way, but many customers have complained about noisy children during lunch like it's a party. We get a lot of business people here at lunchtimes. We don't mind children on the weekends, just not during the week." (please note these aren't his EXACT words in the exact order)

I could NOT believe what I heard. And to paint a clearer picture, this is our local Chinese restaurant which we have frequented roughly once a week for the past 3 yrs. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. I will sure be taking my business elsewhere, but would like everyone to be aware of the appalling attitude and service. My kids are never rowdy or unruly, yet they are being talked about like they animals that should be left on a leash tied to a lamppost.

Sorry for the rant. I'm still fuming. Do you think it's worth going to local press? Thanks for listening and for any input.

yak - no sorry that wasn't how it was done and the mark up on beer etc wasn't large sorry

It isn't always the kids who make the noise, either. It's that 'AREN'T I a good, involved Mummy, stimulating my highly intelligent child' voice and associated palaver that cuts across the room, or train carriage! I was having a work chat over a coffe yesterday, in a calm coffee shop, and in came two women with utterly gorgeous toddlers, you would have thought the entire CBeebies film crew and most of the presenters had arrived and were recording their shows en masse, for the gushing, toy waving and giggly wide-eye shrieking that went on. The children were v quiet

Not accusing you of this, OP, but in general, Mummying can sometimes be as noisy as being a child.

Do people still drink at lunch time?

I respect that it is the right of the restaurant to choose their customer base and cater to it. That makes sense, but is still rude if you are on the receiving end.

I also stand by the point that if you want to do business in a quiet, work oriented environment, then go to work and do it! A restaurant is not the office. By all means conduct business there if it suits you, but don't assume that other people's children will prohibit you from doing so or that what you are doing is automatically more important than what they are doing.

I think it's a shame that children are not made to feel welcome in this country and it's a shame that parents are consigned to pizza hut type places.

IvyKaty - well my organisation runs a licensed catering outlet and drinks mark-up is crucial to profit and is that high.

I agree with karmabeliever
:

" but wanted to say that I don't think that people having business lunches are more important than people having lunch with their DC. If business people want a quiet meeting, they should stay in the office and have one. A restaurant is a public space and one group of people are not more 'entitled' than any other.

I do think a restaurant has the right to ask people to leave if they are disrupting other people and I think parents have a responsibility to ensure their DC behave appropriately. However, refusing to allow a child to enter a restaurant just because they are a child is as bad to me as refusing to serve gay people or black people, in case someone else didn't like it!"

I've eaten in several restaurants in Canary Wharf at lunchtime, They aren't quiet.

Also, dont forget a child will have only one glass of orange juice. The grown ups can have well...another bottle.. and another...

I don't think adults are entitled to go into a Happy Chef type restaurant and complain about the noise the children are making.

Likewise I do not think that people with children are entitled to entry into any restaurant they want. This restaurant appears to cater for the business market during the week and that is fair enough.

Zukie, please give me the names of the restaurants you eat in so that I can go to some of them with dh. I hate going out for a nice evening meal, with babysitter organised only to discover a shouting bored child in a highchair at the next table or a gang of children squealing and gabbling at the top of their voices while their parents smile fondly at them.

Yakkin i agree

there was a decline in the amount people drank at lunch time between 1985 when drinking lunches were the norm through till the early noughties when it wasn't normal to have more than one drink with the meal.

i used to have one regular group that didn't even seem to ever eat their lunch either - they talked to much and most of their lunch when in the bin after 2 hours and they always apologised

how much %?

Laquitar: I think I probably was guilty of a bit of that when my DCs were small. The pfb, anyway .

See, I don't mind if I go out without my DC and someone else's child is squealing. I just feel grateful that I'm not the one having to deal with it.

I would mind about the hand print on the silk dress though and would be very cross if the parents didn't look after their child and ensure he/she didn't cause damage. Think they should have offered to pay cleaning bill/replacement.

I also agree with the restaurant.

To the poster who thinks its your divine right to let your child crawl around restaurants- it is people like you who lead to a blanket ban on all children in restaurants other than pub chain type places. But you blithley carry on thinking your little dahlings have the right to roam wherever they like and be a potential hazzard to others- so long as you enjoy your spiffing lunch

I am torn now.

I want to go out to supper with you zukiecat as you seem to have a magical energy field that allows you to avoid the kind of children that I encounter.

Yet if the price is eating in franky and bennys it may be too much to bear.

I don't see that as a criticism zukie but I do disagree totally.

I didn't become a mother to give up on every other aspect of my life. And having supper with a good friend, or dinner with my dh on our anniversary are some of the nice moments in life that do not require my dcs to attend without in any way excluding them

Gawd, I have been in two and hated them. Strong recollection of plates of beige food.

We will have to go out zukie. We have so much in common

I am not sure I agree with the "they don't care" logic if we are talking about the restaurant I think we are (RC). Yes, it is busy during the week with business lunches but it is REALLY busy on the weekend with a mixed crowd including lots of large family groups. If they got a reputation for refusing children during the week I think this would impact on their weekend trade. I probably wouldn't go there on the weekend if they turned me away during the week because I had DD with me. There must have been something else going on as I have never had a problem there, always see children there etc. When my DD was little the waitresses used to take her away from the table and carry her around the restaurant while we were eating (understand some people would not be happy with that!).

Yakkin - I call it Ostentatious Parenting.