Who was in the wrong - bakery or me?

[Doijb]

I take my kids to a bakery after swimming. Most of the time they choose sausage rolls or similar. There is a tiny table with two chairs. I plop one of my kids on my lap and we eat our treat. I prefer this as otherwise the flakes would go everywhere.

Anyway, after going every week to this place for a year one of the staff members tells me we’re not really a sit down food place. I inquire about the chairs and she said it’s more for people who wait.

I just found this odd. My kids are brilliantly behaved and I make sure not loud. My oldest will wipe down the table with a serviette.

Who is being weird?

Function of a table??

Sitting on it

Job done

Than they remove the table/s and explain this to the customer who isn't a mind reader.

In what way is it weird?

There are multiple reasons as to why it’s not been mentioned before.

Perhaps the staff let her when it was quiet and she wasn’t causing any issues but the boss reminded them of the rules and their insurance and told them to stop people eating there in future.

They politely told OP the rules.
It’s not in the slightest bit weird.

OP sounds like she was already familiar with the rules anyway, considering she admitted she would move if a disabled person was waiting.

Not everything has to be a big drama.

Like another op posted, whilst I get that it's meant to be for people waiting. It's surely taken them long enough to bring the matter to her attention!

I would also think that a table and chairs in somewhere serving food is an invitation to sit down and eat unless there was a big sign saying ‘waiting only, no eating’. I think it’s weird they haven’t said anything for a year. If sitting down to eat your snacks is part of the routine now, I would just go somewhere else ☺️

A "staff seating" area sign is a basic requirement, and would take them minutes. The place sounds disorganised.

If they are sold from a heated cabinet, they are VAT-able irrespective- so OP may already have paid VAT.

This. A set of chairs I’d assume are for waiting, but a table and chairs I’d assume are for eating. It’s a bit awkward of them to not have mentioned it before, but I am sure you are not the only one who has made that honest mistake. Maybe they’ve had issues lately so are finally enforcing it. Now you know though and you can just take everything as takeaway in the future.

Maybe the table is for customers to sit and do a crossword at, while they’re waiting for their order?

Yes maybe it’s that. I can see why you feel a bit put out though OP.

Only on Mumsnet…

A table and Chairs in a place that serves food and assuming that they are for sitting at and eating. Not something to be mortified about really. There are some table and chairs outside my local waitrose, I have never asked if I can sit and eat there. I am not mortified about this.

Our local bakery has a small thin breakfast bar and 2 stools and a single small table with two chairs. Sounds like a similar sort of set up. Ours however IS so people can eat in. I understand why OP used the table and chairs made available for customers. Yeah she was wrong about their use but why would she think a table and chairs weren't to be used in a food place as a table and chairs would normally be? In my view, the unnecessary (weird?) bit was staff embarrassing her about it when a simple new informative sign could have got the message out without any need to have any sort of engagement that could cause embarrassment.

OP I'd give that place a wide berth now and find a little cafe instead.

Surely not on it. At it. 🤣

Disabilities aren’t always visible and a person in need won’t always feel comfortable or empowered enough to ask you and your kids to move.
Now you know that’s what they are for though you shouldn’t sit there anymore.

🤣 different strokes for different folks.

Nobody is at fault, it's just a misunderstanding.

Reasonable to assume that if there is a table and chairs provided in a place that sells food, then you can sit there and eat.

Reasonable for the bakery to say actually, that's just for folk waiting for orders.

Bit of a fuss over nothing, really.

What a load of fuss about nothing!

So it’s a bakery shop, not a cafe? YABVU.

As others have said, it’s the VAT implications that are relevant. The price of the food items will have to increase if they start allowing customers to sit and eat inside the premises.

If you ignore the shop staff and carry on sitting down and eating there, you’ll probably find they’ll remove the table. That’s what I’d do if I was the manager.

Well I would argue that this cafe isn't customer friendly. Table and chairs you can't eat at, no signs, how is this good for anybody with disabilities, hidden or otherwise? And what about ND people, I am NT and I would be confused by it. I wouldn't go back here op. It is fine that you cannot eat at the table. It isn't fine that they have no signs, and a seating area. Goodness knows how chaotic it may be in the back, if this is what is presented to the customers.

Is that what you'd think a table in a cafe that serves hot food would be for, leaning on? That's quite a funny image btw
. Maybe they need a sign.."you can lean but NO ENJOYING"

There is a bakery in the high street that has one tiny table and 2 chairs. They are for eating at. I have never eaten there as it’s a bit small and in a walkway. Bit of an odd set up. But they are there for customers to eat at.

it's not a 'rule' it's called politeness

Yes I found it odd that they had a table and chairs for queuing customers. Perhaps it needs a sign to say so. It would be easy to assume that you could sit their with your children for a moment. What is weird is that they let you do it for a year and didn't let on.

Maybe they weren’t too bothered, but have been reminded they should be charging VAT to eat in, so have said something. I really don’t think it’s complicated.