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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be offended and angry that cafe refused to let us 'share' our food with 18mo today?

99 replies

iamfurious · 26/04/2008 17:38

Myself, Dp and DS went to the local cafe today. It is one we visit often and we always spend about £20 there, once we've had drinks, meals and ofetn somethig for afters.

They have highchairs so one assumes they don't want to put off families.

Well today we ordered drinks and two meals. first choice of mine not available so i chose something else. My partner ordered a 'double' breakfast. Then we witnessed the owner come down and publicly tell one of the waitresses off in front of the customers.

About five minutes later the waitress came back and said very apologetically that she had been asked to tell us that we were not 'allowed' to share our food with our Ds????????? I was absolutely flabergasted.

There is no kids menu but even if there was I would not be inclined to order a meal that is suitable for a ten year old for a small toddler, who basically just wants to graze and try out bits and pieces of what we are eating.

I went up to speak to the owner/chef who said that people had been 'abusing' the 'double' breakfast by ordering one breakfast and sharing it between two people! he said' its people like you who I am talking about!!!!!!!!!!

I was SO MAD! I told him I could not believe that they could be so petty as to tell people they couldnt share their own,legally purchased food with an 18mo child, who obviously couldn't (and shouldn't!) eat a full meal off an adult menu!!

It left me shaking with anger as it all desended into a bit of a row, and made me feel like I was trying to scam them or something!!

Please tell me, has anyone else come across this and AIBU??

OP posts:

northernrefugee39 · 26/04/2008 19:13

Of course you anbu, it's unbelieveable. what a twat.
Even if it wasn't a child, to tell someone what to do with their food is totally ridiculous!

northernrefugee39 · 26/04/2008 19:15

Actually, most places we go to with kids , bring a spare clean plate so we can share it out.
Loads of places do that.
Fascist eating eatablishment!

Original poster

iamfurious · 26/04/2008 19:15

Thank you I really appreciate everyones support, maybe I shouldn't be so sensitive but it has ruined my day.

I am going over to Mumsnet local now to post a review, if anyone is interested in where this happened.

Thanks again

OP posts:

sarah293 · 26/04/2008 19:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

avenanap · 26/04/2008 19:17

That's horrid. If you've paid for the food then it's down to you what you do with it. A toddler wouldn't eat a big meal anyway. It's disgusting behaviour. Spread the word, this is out of order.

mshadowsisfab · 26/04/2008 19:21

you are so not being unreasonable. write to the local paper .

Woollymummy · 26/04/2008 19:23

Go on then, spill the beans? Where is it? Even if I can't make it there myself, I will be sending them (telepathically) hordes of virtual toddlers to graze off all their customers' plates. I hope they go out of business with an attitude like that. maybe they are going out of business and that is why the creep took his frustration out on his customers? What a shitty way to treat someone who has obviously been loyally supporting him and his staff. Boycott, or better still, turn up with all of your friends, all their toddlers and then cynically share all your food in front of his face, and have a mass walkout without paying if he dares open his irritating mouth. Get the press to come and watch what happens. I am just really up for stroppy behaviour today, you'll have to excuse me

kerryk · 26/04/2008 19:28

just read op, i am

my dd's are 6&4 and both small eaters. when we go out we only order one meal for them and a extra plate. i cant believe they would have you wasting food/money.

Original poster

iamfurious · 26/04/2008 19:33

Hello again

I have written a brief review on Mumsnet Local under Malmesbury SN16.

Feel that is the place to 'name and shame' in a legitimate fashion and then anyone who wants to can agree or disagree openly, including the owners!

Funny Wollymummy, the place is in fact up for sale. I really hope the new owners are a bit more enlightened than the present.

OP posts:

sarah293 · 26/04/2008 19:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

iamfurious · 26/04/2008 19:37

Yes Riven!

OP posts:

kerryk · 26/04/2008 19:37

we have a chinese buffet near us that does not even charge for little ones, its fantastic. the kids get to have a little taste of everything and the staff make such a effort with them.

one even gave dd2 her bottle when she was tiny so that i could fill my face in peace (the waitress insisted by the way, i did not ask)

ThingOne · 26/04/2008 19:46

Blimey Iamfurious, my one experience of crap customer service with children was in Wiltshire too, in Holt. It must be catching.

harpsichordcarrier · 26/04/2008 19:48

"not allowed to share"

kazbeth · 26/04/2008 19:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AbbeyA · 26/04/2008 20:08

When DS was small we used to ask for a spare plate and give him some. As toddlers child portions were too big. No one ever refused.

doggiesayswoof · 26/04/2008 20:12

YANBU

Still do this regularly with dd (nearly 4) and have never had a problem.

I would phone the local paper and then write and tell the owner that you have done so.

gingerninja · 26/04/2008 20:14

A friend recently took her 10 month old to one of those pizza resturants, think it was pizza hut. She was told that if she gave her DD even a piece of cucumber (from her all you can eat salad buttet type thing) she'd have to pay for a childs meal. Absolutely bonkers

pinkyminky · 26/04/2008 20:17

YANBU That's just silly. We always hare meals out- either split a meal between the dc, or they have some of ours. Besides, people regularly share desserts etc. in restaurants. Definite name and shame situation. If his menu policy has backfired it's not your fault.

MadamePlatypus · 26/04/2008 20:22

It sounds to me as though the business has already failed and the owner is bitter and thinks that he would have been able to make a go of it if only all those toddlers had bought their own double breakfasts.

Original poster

iamfurious · 26/04/2008 20:27

Yes MadameP

The sad thing is people liked the food and it always seems busy, so surely there was a fair living to be made.

Suspect the owner made a bad choice of career as he obviously sees his patrons as devils spawn, have just recalled they also had a sign up telling people not to steal bits out of the newspapers .

OP posts:

LyraSilvertongue · 26/04/2008 20:39

Just read your review. So when you asked for the extra plate, they didn't know it was for a baby? maybe their attitude would have been more reasonable if they had known.
Not that it makes much difference. They can't dictate what you do with the food you've paid for.

scottishmummy · 26/04/2008 20:41

Blimey!what nasty man.we frequent local caffs and they are great, give side plate to share food

pinkyminky · 26/04/2008 20:42

I remember a landlady destroying a popular local pub in our neighbourhood- she had similar people skills.

Original poster

iamfurious · 26/04/2008 20:46

Hi Lyra

They said they would have taken a different view if they had known it was for a child, but the point is they did know. The chef had been down and saw us about five minutes earlier and also the waitress specifically said we were not allowed to share with a child. think they just changed their story when we confronted them.

Anyway like you say, if I pay good money for food then I am entited to put it in a paper bag and feed it to the cat lol!!

OP posts:

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