To be fuming at this restaurant?

[Ginge85]

I recently went to a restaurant with my best friend and DS who is 14 months old for lunch. We'd never been before. When I asked for a highchair for DS they promptly brought us one and I'd never ever thought this restaurant would be not a child friendly place.
My friend and I ordered drinks and our food and shortly afterwards I started to feed DS a smallish pot of pasta I'd made and brought with us. There was nothing really on the menu I would've ordered for him, and anything I could've done he would've barely eaten any and would've been a waste of money. I was then therefore extremely baffled and shocked when the waitor came over and awkwardly told us that any food that wasn't bought in the restaurant couldn't be consumed there . He was talking about DS's pasta. I could understand if we as adults had brought our own food and we're eating it but for a baby?! Our bill would've come to around £35 with what we'd ordered also. He was very persistent with this and in the end we walked out before our food had come (we didn't pay for our drinks- but hadn't drank from that as yet). I'm baffled and fuming! Any other time I've been out for lunch every other restaurant has never ever said anything, and have been more than happy to get me a bowl of hot water to warm it up if needed. AIBU?

So just as predicted.
Op: AIBU?
Majority: yes
Op: no I'm not.

YABU, I've always found that when the DC's were small most restaurants will sort something out for weaning or just weaned babies - you just have to ask. This has been in small cafe type places and quite smart restaurants so a fairly large mixture of places!

YABU - I am not surprised they objected.

YABU. Furthermore, you should return and apologise and pay for the drinks.

You don't have a point, op. He eats pasta; order pasta

Next time, wait for your food. Ask for a spare plate ... put a bit of yours and a bit of his!
Sit somewhere more out of sight too.
I can't believe the indignant posters- l can just see the sucking on a lemon faces!
In this shitty world , it is just a tiny pot of pasta hardly any reason to get worked up.
Oh, and before anyone kindly points it out.
I'm almost positive op won't be doing it when her son is 25!

I'm going to say this again, please go back and pay for your drinks. It doesn't matter that you didn't drink them, you ordered them. It would be the decent thing to do. The rest meh.

So in my opinion!
YANBU.

The waiter sounds rude too.
I didn't experience any of this shit in the US. They like customers there.
for the most part

Bring something with you? So make it a picnic. You can't take food into restaurants.
Or choose places where you know he will pick at something. Ffs we used to take our eldest into the curry house! He used to just share a bit of naan and rice. Kept him happy and organised.
YAB COMPLTELY U.

I would probably have checked it out with restaurant first BUT it was extremely poor customer service and totally short sighted of the restaurant and I am really surprised that they made such a fuss. I worked in the service industry for a loooong time and I have never encountered this. I'm not sure how no income is better than the income generated by two meals and drinks - not to mention the fact that they will not have your repeat custom and maybe not your friends either. Unless they had a larger group waiting for the table, it was just silly.

And as for those saying " You could have just fed the child from your own plate" - How is that any better??? The restaurant are still not making money from the child.

Did you miss where I said ds is 8months? I still fed him restaurant food. If I'd had something on me I'd have asked, but wouldn't have bothered me if they'd said no.

YABU. I probably would have simply used a side plate and given DC some of what I was having or ordered a starter/side portion for him.

I don't see why feeding them some of yours makes any difference though. You are still only paying for one adult meal.

If you bring something for them instead of feeding them a bit of your meal, then it's no difference profit-wise for the restaurant surely.

When I worked in restaurants a few years back customers weren't allowed to bring their own food unless it was an unopened shop bought food.
Reason being they were liable from a good old health and safety POV if the baby got food poisoning in their restaurant from the food the parents bought in even though the restaurant didn't cook it.
We couldn't heat up baby food for customers but could give hot water for heating up bottles/ containers themselves.
Seemed ridiculous then, seems ridiculous now but if that is the risk they're under it's understandable

YABU, entitled and unreasonable.

If I'd had something on me I'd have asked, but wouldn't have bothered me if they'd said no.
I will be asking in future if I have something with me. If he'd have politely told us and explained it would have been fine. It was his attitude and his rudeness which was the main problem. The fact I'd not encountered this before is my problem. If I'm U then I accept this, I just genuinely wasn't aware as I've never ever come across this. But a lesson has been learnt from it. I don't personally see the massive deal in a small pot of pasta when 2 adult meals are ordered, but respect that it may be a problem for some places, especially now.

I won't be eating there again

Pretty sure you wouldn't be allowed to eat there again, Ginge, after running out on the bill for the drinks you were served.

YABU. It's a cafe. Your DS is 14 months, perfectly capable of eating a bit of yours, if you order right. If you must bring in food from outside (which is v tacky unless an allergy thing, or for a tiny weaning baby) you always, always ask first.

SAMlady that is what I was told regarding heating baby food. Yes it is a bit mad but I can see the reasoning behind it.

....And if restaurants don't want parents to do this they need to be a little more creative and thoughtful with what they offer on kids menus. Chicken nuggets and chips and margarita pizzas are just not going to cut it. I actually really like Prezzo because they have different levels of kids meals - a cheapo one with basics for smaller kids and a more expensive one for older children.

Actually, if restaurants don't want parents to do this they can just say no.

I had a very young waiter ask me what I wanted to order from the menu for DD - she was 5 months old.
I had to explain twice that she didn't eat and would just be having milk thanks very much.....

I would have brought food and snacks for DD at that age - and try things from my plate too
You aren't costing the cafe a meal - they were being unrealistic
Child eating off your plate doesn't benefit them at all .... are you sure they didn't expect you to order for him too

As far as I am concerned children in high chairs don't count - as long as everyone else is eating they shouldn't be bothered what you were doing. They are generally there for the experience - and if you have food that keeps them occupied - all the better

YABU

YABU.