Restaurant bans children...

davet82

A Dublin restaurant has instituted a lunchtime ban on babies, on the basis of ‘health and safety reasons’.

A young mother was refused a table at Belluci’s of Ballsbridge because she had a sleeping newborn with her. 26 year old Jennifer kerrisk told the paper that she felt like she could ‘burst into tears with embarrassment’ when asked to leave.

The restaurant, which is owned by famed nightclub owner Robbie Fox justified its actions, saying that the reason that they do not allow babies in the venue between 12pm and 2pm was that it is really busy and that they have lost business due to complaints during those hours.

Spokesperson for the Restaurants Association, Adrian Cummins, said that owners are entitled to refuse children as part of their health and safety policy.

I think this is pretty shítty but this would be music to some peoples ears that I know...


Could this be classed as discrimination or possibly ageist?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

well yes it's discrimination, they're discriminating against people with very young children. it's still a great idea.

hairyprincess

I know a restaurant that has just one highchair as they don't want to encourage people to bring young children. And also they have a crap and very expensive kids menu.

There's also an adult only hotel somewhere in the country, damned if I can remember where though

Up with this sort of thing.

Nuttzz

Im amazed at the amount of kids who cant sit at a table and eat properly, if people let their kids run around in restaurants and pubs then they can expect more of this

Tombi!

I once saw a white woman with a toddler that was adopted and was Chinese.

I wonder if it'd be considered racist if they banned that baby.

donalg1

I for one would definitely go there for lunch now and may pop in some day

donalg1

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

I once saw a white woman with a toddler that was adopted and was Chinese.

I wonder if it'd be considered racist if they banned that baby.

How do you know the toddler was adopted?

shar01

I want to go there.

lazygal

I think this is great. I have a kid and last week we wanted to go for lunch. We rang and checked with a few places we'd go to but none were baby friendly. And when we thought about it, the reason just the two of us would go there would be mainly because we won't have to endure people's children when we're out. We went to a more 'family friendly' place that we'd never go to otherwise, which was grand. And some buggies take up mahoosive room so I can totally understand why a place wouldn't want six bugaboos taking up half the cafe while children are running around and the parents are oblivious. Up with this sort of thing. I'd actually make a point of going there.

Frank Black

Nuttzz wrote: »

Im amazed at the amount of kids who cant sit at a table and eat properly, if people let their kids run around in restaurants and pubs then they can expect more of this

Doubt if a newborn baby was going to be doing much running around.

I'd like to see what specific H+S reasons they give as a basis for refusing entry to that young woman.

Hopfully she'll take a case against them - I suspect she'd win.

Tombi!

donalg1 wrote: »

How do you know the toddler was adopted?

She told me. I had a convo with her after she ask for directions.

BizzyC

Crap, voted the wrong way.
Meant to say it should be allowed.

Management has the right to refuse to serve anyone.

Others shouldn't be forced to deal with the extra noise that comes from a place full of kids.

themadchef

The end of lunch time babachino?

Simply scandalous!

Duggy747

Food is expensive enough in these places, I'd at least like to enjoy it in the company of adults and not little urchins on the brink of having a tantrum.

ejmaztec

donalg1 wrote: »

How do you know the toddler was adopted?

Yes, she could have just borrowed it for the day.

Death and Taxes

BizzyC wrote: »

Crap, voted the wrong way.
Meant to say it should be allowed.

Management has the right to refuse to serve anyone.

Others shouldn't be forced to deal with the extra noise that comes from a place full of kids.

No they dont, I suggest you read the Equality acts which phrohibits discrimination in access to services on a wide number of grounds.

davet82

If you allow this then maybe the elderly might be next, very slow hogging tables and they could fall over so health and saftey reasons or sure lets stop the disabled coming in too?

davet82

Nuttzz wrote: »

Im amazed at the amount of kids who cant sit at a table and eat properly,

its amazing the amount of (drunk) adults you could apply that sentence to as well

Sergeant

The words 'famed nightclub owner' annoyed me more than anything else in the article.

ITS_A_BADGER

davet82 wrote: »

I think this is pretty shítty but this would be music to some peoples ears that I know...


Could this be classed as discrimination or possibly ageist?

I bet they are doing it under the guise of overcrowding and the baby might be in danger or people would trip over the cradles on the ground and hurt themselves. what health and saftey reasons could there be?

Ghost Buster

So. That Childrens Rights referendum that was voted in.. Hows that coming along?

themadchef

Old people are quite cranky too. They complain. gotta keep them out too.
People in wheelchairs take up alot of room, yeah, fúck them out as well.
Fat people need to go, make the place look untidy.

I got an idea. Lets just keep all the young people with money, lovely money (as mister Crabs would say).

You cant discriminate. A baby is not a H+S risk to anyone. It's a pain in the hole for others to listen to at times (unless youre broody as fúck). Good luck to him prooving otherwise.

WileyCoyote (Accelleratii Incredibus!)

WileyCoyote (Accelleratii Incredibus!) wrote: »

No they dont, I suggest you read the Equality acts which phrohibits discrimination in access to services on a wide number of grounds.

They can refuse access to anyone, those acts only mention the reasons they can't refuse access. Massive difference.

CreepingDeath

black francis wrote: »

I'd like to see what specific H+S reasons they give as a basis for refusing entry to that young woman.

Probably because their tables are so crammed together that the waitresses can't get by their prams/buggies and have to carry hot drinks/meals over the heads of other patrons when squeezing past.

Ghost Buster

Nuttzz wrote: »

Im amazed at the amount of kids who cant sit at a table and eat properly, if people let their kids run around in restaurants and pubs then they can expect more of this

Deal with them on a one to one basis as the situation arrives rather than a blanket ban. Just like you do with a other customers.
My kids know exactly how to behave in a pubic place. Not all adults do

Fizman

It fascinates me to see how some people feel they have a right to be accommodated 'everywhere'.

If an establishment doesn't have the facilities/amenities/characteristics for me to enjoy a meal, I will simply go somewhere that does. If I eat somewhere that has no atmosphere / doesn't do good food, I won't eat there again.

If I was out for a jog and got a bit peckish, I wouldn't attempt to go into a restaurant as I wouldn't expect they'd be fond of a big sweaty bloke in shorts/t shirt to be rolling in.

Nobody has a divine right to be allowed into a private establishment. E.g. There is a derelict building in a town for years. A businessman decides to put several million into it and completely revamps it into a top-end restaurant. I see absolutely no problem with him being picky in certain clientele being allowed through the door.

humanji

davet82 wrote: »

its amazing the amount of (drunk) adults you could apply that sentence to as well

At lunch time?

Of course they should be allowed to ban children. Especially considering how badly behaved a lot of kids are nowadays. I'm only 22 but I remember when I was younger there was a lot less tolerance for kids. Maybe it's just my perspective, but I think careless parenting is on the rise. Not bad parenting, just that some people seem like they're picking their battles a bit too carefully. Plus the mad prams and buggies people are hauling around with them these days. Everything used to be foldable or able to be disassembled for restaurants or buses. Now it seems to be a case of, "well yes my buggy is massive and no one can get by, but I have kids so deal with it".

And yes, I am disproportionately angry about this. I've no idea why.

hoodwinked

the only problem i see with this is they are judging every child by the bad mothers!

My three year old may be classed as a 'child' but considering we eat in a restaurant once at least maybe twice a month she is not only used to sitting at a table, but will sit there, eat her 3 courses, doesn't scream, cry, but converses with us and her grand-uncle she might do a bit of colouring in between course or play a game on a phone (shock horror we actually provide her with entertainment i know), she never had her buggy blocking tables, in fact from when she was old enough to sit up we had a portable booster seat rather than use high chairs so now she sits in normally provided seats and sits properly.

but overall i hate being disturbed by other peoples brats and i refuse to allow her to disrupt someone elses meal.

its not fair that she would be turned away due to her age despite her exceptional behavior record.

cofy

hairyprincess wrote: »

I know a restaurant that has just one highchair as they don't want to encourage people to bring young children. And also they have a crap and very expensive kids menu.

I have no problem with restaurants saying no children, but a restaurant saying that they are child friendly by advertising high chairs/baby changing facilities and treat you like you are a major inconvenience would annoy me.

Gummy Panda

Going by previous threads this will turn into people without kids vs people with kids. Lines such as "You don't have kids so how could you understand.." will be used. The entitlement of both will be astonishing.


/grabs popcorn

xLexie

Not everybody finds the sound of a screaming child to be cute. Nobody is going to pay to sit somewhere to get a headache. Have no idea why parents bring small kids to restaurants for anyway.

hoodwinked

humanji wrote: »

At lunch time?

story on the radio there about someone at 6am this morning on the cork-dublin train drinking cider so yeah!

Death and Taxes

Deleted User wrote: »

They can refuse access to anyone, those acts only mention the reasons they can't refuse access. Massive difference.

your post makes no sense!

AEDIC

xLexie wrote: »

Not everybody finds the sound of a screaming child to be cute. Nobody is going to pay to sit somewhere to get a headache. Have no idea why parents bring small kids to restaurants for anyway.

You will when you get older and have some

Voted that they should be able to ban them... its up to the Restaurant who they serve and as long as its for an 'allowable' reason then drive on I say... there will be a Maccy D's somewhere close by for the nippers anyway...

Tombi!

WileyCoyote (Accelleratii Incredibus!) wrote: »

your post makes no sense!

It does make sense.
I see it as: I can't refuse you access on the basis of your race but I can say that we don't let people in wearing your type of clothes.

Noffles

Brilliant idea, keep the buggy brigade elsewhere... and yes I have kids, all grown up now and I hated talking a pram to a coffee shop never mind a busy restaurant.. and if I could I / we never did it.

Hope to see this more often, then I'll know which one is baby / pram friendly and which one I'll actually enjoy

Deise Vu

I voted in favour even though I bring my kids to a restaurant every Sunday. There is no doubt a restaurant can turn into a creche which is great for parents but terrible for singletons (and some parents!). A restaurant should be able to make a commercial decision based on the what they think the balance of probabilities are: ie how many extra customers they will gain versus the number they are going to p-off forever.

One thing that would really annoy me though would be if you only found out after you got in the door. If I had found and paid for parking or maybe walked some distance to a restaurant only to be turned away I wouldn't take it too kindly.

The best of luck to them, not many restaurants can afford to turn away customers these days. I have a funny feeling it will bite him on the rear end eventually though.

Dodge

Not sure how this is news, loads of places don't let kids in. There's constantly threads in the parenting forum (etc) about restaurents that are family friendly and those who are not.

If a place doesn't want me and my money in, then I don't want to be there. Plenty of other options available (and thats as a dad with a young kid)

My only gripe is the 'famed nightclub owner' seeming to think he's making some sort of moral stand.

AEDIC

WileyCoyote (Accelleratii Incredibus!) wrote: »

your post makes no sense!

Actually it does... You can refuse to serve anyone as long as you have a legit reason for doing it.

e.g. Chinese guy comes in after jogging (to steal/expand on an earlier example)

Sorry we cant serve you as you are chinese - WRONG

Sorry we cant serve you as you are a big sweaty mess - Probably ok...

Doom

davet82 wrote: »

I think this is pretty shítty but this would be music to some peoples ears that I know...


Could this be classed as discrimination or possibly ageist?

I'm going in there with a baby crying as my ring tone on my phone......turn it up loud and get lots of friends to ring me:P

token101

Not sure if she should have been refused entry, but first sign of screaming/crying/acting the ****ing brat he should be able to turf them out no questions asked, not that any self respecting parent wouldn't leave anyway. He should just make it as unfriendly to kids as possible, no kids menu, no accommodations for kids, ie heating up milk or baby bowls, etc, no high chairs. Maybe even one of those high pitch sound deterrents.

Ficheall

hoodwinked wrote: »

its not fair that she would be turned away due to her age despite her exceptional behavior record.

How indignant would you be if they had to ask you to leave half-way through your meal, though?

Zebra3

xLexie wrote: »

Have no idea why parents bring small kids to restaurants for anyway.

Because they are selfish c***s.

bobwilliams

hairyprincess wrote: »

I know a restaurant that has just one highchair as they don't want to encourage people to bring young children. And also they have a crap and very expensive kids menu.

There's also an adult only hotel somewhere in the country, damned if I can remember where though

.

I think that might be Monarth in Wexford,near Bunclody

Atomic Pineapple

token101 wrote: »

Not sure if she should have been refused entry, but first sign of screaming/crying/acting the ****ing brat he should be able to turf them out no questions asked, not that any self respecting parent wouldn't leave anyway. He should just make it as unfriendly to kids as possible, no kids menu, no accommodations for kids, ie heating up milk or baby bowls, etc, no high chairs. Maybe even one of those high pitch sound deterrents.

Agreed. People who allow their kids to run around, shout, scream, be noisy, bang the tables, cause a fuss should be immediately asked to leave. I've been in two many restaurants where there is a nice relaxed atmosphere ruined my some parents who can't control their screaming kid and are ignorant to the people trying to have a nice meal around them.

A ban on children may not be the best solution as no one should have a problem with children who behave, but ones that don't should be asked to leave and refused further service, it would be a good thing if this became the norm and acceptable, especially in non family orientated restaurants.

Tombi!

Zebra3 wrote: »

Because they are selfish c***s.

You're joking, right?

hoodwinked

Ficheall wrote: »

How indignant would you be if they had to ask you to leave half-way through your meal, though?

i wouldn't know it has never happened, if ever she misbehaved when younger we nipped it in the bud straight away before she would even cry, she's grown up knowing you talk quietly and behave in certain places (likewise when she gets to the playground she goes mad running around squealing) and has never ever given us a reason to take her outside during a meal (shes usually eating herself then or talking and thus distracted anyway), if she ever started crying or screaming we'd remove her straight away meal eaten or no meal eaten.

BizzyC

WileyCoyote (Accelleratii Incredibus!) wrote: »

No they dont, I suggest you read the Equality acts which phrohibits discrimination in access to services on a wide number of grounds.

Yes they can.
They can flat out refuse you access to their service for whatever reason they want.

As long as they don't provide a discriminatory explanation they're safe from that act.

suicide_circus

http://www.bellucci.ie/

look at the website, it's not a baby friendly establishment, children are an essential part of life, not of lunch,