To complain about no highchair rule

[Lofu]

At a garden centre today we went to the cafe for lunch. I have been before pre covid and know the little corner where they keep the highchairs, so went and got one.
Half way through our meals a server came over and told me off for using a high chair. Apparently they are not allowed to use them because of covid.
This is the first place I've heard of such a thing. Would I be unreasonable to email a complaint? I can't decide whether the cafe are well within their right to make whatever rule they like, or whether it is discrimination of children.

@Justwingingmotherhood

You must not have kids or magical kids that sit on your head whilst eating. She doesnt sound ridiculous at all. God this site really is full of petty bitches

Isn't it just!

That’s a great idea- put up an unemotional review on Facebook about how it’s a shame they got rid of the high chairs considering it’s always been child friendly in the past and Covid guidelines don’t say anything about their removal.

Just don’t go back

@DianaT1969

They are actually being quite thoughtful. Parents don't want their baby to pick up Covid and the way children pick up and eat food directly from the plastic table is very different from how adults sit and eat at a table. Plus, we can't keep sanitising a baby's hands. Some parents might just stick their baby in a highchair and not think about the Covid risk. Then straight off to see grandma.

These were the wooden ones with no tray that you pull right up to the table.

And we didn't go straight to Grandma, we took a detour to get his hands licked by the goats first.

I’d be so annoyed about that. I had the same a few weeks ago, walked for an hour in the rain to meet friends at a cafe only for them to have no high chairs. I had to have toddler sat on my knee whilst I drank hot tea and tried to eat my meal one handed. Not ideal and pure laziness because they can’t be bothered to wipe the high chair down between customers. The toilet was also shut so I just had to cross my legs ready for the 1 hour walk home too. Abysmal, you’d think they’d encourage customers after a tough few months?!

Bore off you melt

Wow, I had no idea Danny Dyer used Mumsnet!

It's a bit ridiculous and would put me off going again.

They could just put them out of the way and block them off and put a sign up saying "please ask for a high chair so we can ensure it is adequately cleaned first"

There's no reason to remove them and make peoples lives harder and more miserable. Just work around it. It's a small job. Spray. Wipe. Done.

It's shit like this that's making covid more unbearable. Rules for the sake of rules. Rules that don't serve any real purpose. Just making things harder for people trying to make the best of it.

This has NOTHING to do with cleaning high chairs and everything to do with SOCIAL DISTANCING

How can people not get that?

1 - Cafe sets out tables and chairs to maintain social distancing

2 - Parent comes along and helps themselves to a high chair

3 - Social distancing now no longer possible!!!!!!

This is just the same situation as a party of 5 turning up and helping themselves to a chair to make a table for 4 accommodate them which would also be rude and entitled to think themselves above the rules?

I'd be annoyed too - between certain ages, little ones need a highchair at a table. It's understandable but it will put off customers with young children so it depends how much they want / need their custom. I would make email them to see if they can come up with an alternative.

I'd also put a review on Tripadvisor or Facebook just stating in non angry terms that there are no high chairs atm, to warn parents. I would have appreciated knowing that, so that I could go elsewhere or bring my own. I used to have a portable booster seat that was useful for those times, but I usually only took when visiting friends/family.

@ivfbeenbusy

This has NOTHING to do with cleaning high chairs and everything to do with SOCIAL DISTANCING

How can people not get that?

1 - Cafe sets out tables and chairs to maintain social distancing

2 - Parent comes along and helps themselves to a high chair

3 - Social distancing now no longer possible!!!!!!

This is just the same situation as a party of 5 turning up and helping themselves to a chair to make a table for 4 accommodate them which would also be rude and entitled to think themselves above the rules?

Or just remove one or the chairs and replace it with a high chair

@saussaggessandmasshh

Presumably the OP didn't do that in the first place?

[quote ivfbeenbusy]@saussaggessandmasshh

Presumably the OP didn't do that in the first place? [/quote]
Yes I swapped a chair for the high chair.

To be fair, age is a protected characteristic and in order to participate in the meal DS needs extra consideration. Not sure that reasoning deserves your snarky emoji.

Yeah, it really does. Cringe.

Even in normal circumstances i would put 1 chair somewhere out of the way and put a high chair in the space.

They’ve done their own risk assessment and obviously have worries. Seems out of step with other places but it’s their choice. They are the ones faced with being closed by the HSE/want to keep staff safe.

@ZoeTurtle

To be fair, age is a protected characteristic and in order to participate in the meal DS needs extra consideration. Not sure that reasoning deserves your snarky emoji.

Yeah, it really does. Cringe.

So I shouldn't start a side hustle as a discrimination lawyer? Noted thanks.

I was in a local restaurant when a woman and her mother came in with twins. The server brought over 2 high chairs for the twins. No problem.

@ivfbeenbusy

This has NOTHING to do with cleaning high chairs and everything to do with SOCIAL DISTANCING

How can people not get that?

1 - Cafe sets out tables and chairs to maintain social distancing

2 - Parent comes along and helps themselves to a high chair

3 - Social distancing now no longer possible!!!!!!

This is just the same situation as a party of 5 turning up and helping themselves to a chair to make a table for 4 accommodate them which would also be rude and entitled to think themselves above the rules?

Absolute crap. And I say this, as I said above, as a restaurant manager.

Social distancing is perfectly possible if you manage it correctly.

If you have a host then the host is trained to ask if you need a highchair and does the swap. They then swap back and resanitise all the seats (as they should do after each guest), all is good. If there is no host then a sign saying "If you require a high chair, please ask when ordering your food" and then proceed as above.

Hardly a difficult concept, in fact how can people not get that?!

Ignore the posters who are laying into you OP. They are the same ones that walk 10 miles to school and back in the rain over hills and valleys, and when they do use a car, they’d never use parent and child parking as it’s a nonsense...whatever!

I personally require a high chair when we go out. Lots of places have them for you to take, it’s pretty standard. Halfway through your meal is a ridiculous time to tell you and she should not have told you off. You are a paying customer! They either need signage or to remove them.

I do understand the social distance aspect (although garden centre cafes tend to be quite spacious I find), but it’s more likely they don’t want the agg of cleaning them (most places don’t anyway, pre and during Covid - I always wipe ours down before and after, but you usually find (or my child does) a bonus bit of food crust from the last time it was used. Grim!

It's a ridiculous rule I would be complaining and making it clear I wouldn't be going there again nor would I be recommending them quite the opposite!
For those saying it's difficult to clean high chairs no i blooming well isn't! Virtually all high chairs are plastic. Get customers to wipe down on leaving then remove from service and steam clean! Quick simple and efficient sterilise!

I think I would give feedback, as they may then consider either a) letting people use the high chairs or b) take them away altogether to avoid confusion. Since restaurants and cafes have reopened I've been out quite a few times and have never been denied the use of a high chair. Sometimes I've been brought them; others I've got them myself. In fact I've never been in a restaurant that hasn't had highchairs available.

I dont understand how mumsnet have removed some of OPs comments that had nothing wrong with them but none of person who causes trouble on nearly every post boasting about the fact she doesnt have kids. Makes sense!

@ivfbeenbusy

This has NOTHING to do with cleaning high chairs and everything to do with SOCIAL DISTANCING

How can people not get that?

1 - Cafe sets out tables and chairs to maintain social distancing

2 - Parent comes along and helps themselves to a high chair

3 - Social distancing now no longer possible!!!!!!

This is just the same situation as a party of 5 turning up and helping themselves to a chair to make a table for 4 accommodate them which would also be rude and entitled to think themselves above the rules?

Yes. Moving chairs = no 1 spreader of DEATH.

FFS.

They can have whatever rules they want, but you should still complain. A good business will be grateful for your feedback so they can improve their service and keep you coming back. I'm not sure you will get far claiming it's discrimination though.

I work in a very similar set up, what a load of rubbish! Of course a high chair can be used, we just spray down as we do with tables etc