Had to leave Costa as breastfeeding was taking too long

[CalmFawn]

Visited Costa last week with my 10 day old baby. Went to meet my best friend and it was my first outing without my husband ( so a bit nervous!)

Sat down and we both ordered a coffee and a cake. Had a good chat and she held baby etc. about 40 mins into seating, I started to breastfeed baby. Coffee was nearly gone but cakes hadn’t been eaten yet. A member of staff came over and demanded I stop feeding my baby as it was ‘too time consuming’ and we’ve been sat here for too long and it was a busy period so we need to leave. We pointed out there were over 10 empty tables and we still had cake but she ignored us and held the door open for us to leave. I was so upset and embarrassed I just stopped feeding baby and rushed out.

whilst reflecting over the weekend I wish I had had said something to her but worried I’ve missed some time frame that Costa allow and overran. Was she right to ask us to leave? Or was she in the wrong?

I know. People are on their laptops for ages. Groups sit chatting for more than an hour

She was somewhere suitable and there were 10 empty tables so impacting no-one 🤷‍♀️ and you're delusional if you think chain store cafés wouldn't do this, it's not the management team in the stores serving coffee, it's young and poorly trained staff.

I'm guessing they were about to close in which case no, staff don't have to keep the shop open for someone to breastfeed - especially if mum has been chatting away for 40 mins first.

This is so outrageous and so against the law (apart from being against basic humanity) it doesn't ring true. However, as pp have said - was it closing time?.

Hospitality venues care more about rushing people in and out.

My mother always says that rape figures must be wrong because it never happened to her. Or my friend, doesn’t believe there’s a corporate glass ceiling for women and women arejust „making shit up“ (she works as a retail assistant in Super Drug). Just because you’ve never been asked to leave somewhere because you were breastfeeding doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Good grief!

I believe you OP.

Last year went to Costa with DH and kids. Everyone had a coffee/drink and a cake. It was raining in the Peak District so place was packed,

We had just bought a small block of fudge on the way in so it was in a paper bag in my hand and youngest asked to try a little piece as I put it in my bag. Cut a sliver off with my cake knife, passed it to her, put rest of block away.

Costa employee went nuts, out of nowhwere marched over with a placard and started shouting at us about eating 'our own cakes on the premises'. Whole place went silent, she was so loud. I apologised, explained it wasn't cake, it was a sliver of fudge, it was now put away and all the cake we were eating had been bought in Costa. She didn't care, it was all for show, the bellowing was obviously done for maximum embarrassment effect as she could have easily approached our table without creating such a scene if it was really just about the 'cake'. We left and not been back to any branch since, kids refuse to go in.

Lesson learnt: there are angry people everywhere and some of them do indeed work at Costa.

Personally I've never found that, but perhaps it's regional.

Report the employee to contact head office. Get your money back for the cakes at least. Wtf I know people use cobras etc as their office and stay for hours but staff need to deal with them directly!

To be fair, it's not because it's something general, it's the specifics of the case. It's so utterly outrageous!
I actually hope that it's some sort of misunderstanding (they were closing) because otherwise it's illegal and harassment.

And your friend said nothing either? You both need to stand up for yourself.

The friend, especially!

Are you feeling ok?

The law doesn't protect you from being asked to leave somewhere whilst breastfeeding, as long as it's not because of the breastfeeding. The fact that she mentioned the bf is a problem!

She was also breaking the law asking you to stop. If you're being asked to leave somewhere only because they're closing, which is legal, it's none of their concern whether you continue breastfeeding as you vacate the premises.

I had this but 26 years ago in a park cafe. Plenty of tables but asked to leave as apparently they had had complaints (I was covered, I was a new mum and still getting used to breastfeeding). I left but regretted not making a fuss as soon as I was home.

I often work at a table in Costa and will be there for a while. Never been asked to move on.

Courtesy not to sit on display furniture to breast feed/eat & drink/anything except a quick comfort try (seconds) if allowed. I say that as a firm supporter of breast feeding mums.

I was referring to the woman upthread who decided to feed her baby on chairs that were for sale.
I don't know what it is about bfeeding that turns some women into entitled, self-righteous, self-important prima donnas.
Feed your baby in a sensible place (ie not someone's sale stock) and no one would bat an eyelid.

So you sat down on some woman's merchandise and you feel you should have been entitled to stay there because you were breastfeeding?

Jesus.

She didn't tell you to stop feeding. She asked you not to sit on her merchandise.

Precisely.

Presumably the woman with the display furniture for sale also didn't want people sitting on it to eat their lunch, bottle feed their babies or perform chair aerobics sessions either! The breastfeeding is a red herring. So yeah, not the most obvious candidate for a legal case.

I'm in NE, it's become the norm to feel very rushed in restaurants. I've had waiters standing with arms folded, and not offering dessert menu, because we were last ones in, 30 mins before closing.
They all seem to close at 10 pm now, and have booking slots too.
Very rushed in others, earlier in the evening too. Someone standing with main course, while a waiter clears your starter. Asking if you are finished when you clearly aren't etc.

I've seen them chuck out a homeless person who had fallen asleep on a sofa. He'd been there a while I'd imagine

That's awful. I'd hate that. I've never been rushed at all. In fact waiting staff in restaurants ask if we want anything else, another coffee etc.
In cafés they don't seem to care or notice, you pay at the till and that's that.
When I meet up with one particular friend in Starbucks we're usually 2 hours because we're catching up. No problem with staff, if they even notice.

If this is true that is disgusting