Restaurant bans children...

davet82 · 18-01-2013 11:41AM #1

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 · 18-01-2013 11:43AM

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

hairyprincess · 18-01-2013 11:44AM

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

18-01-2013 11:44AM

Up with this sort of thing.

Nuttzz · 18-01-2013 11:46AM

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! · 18-01-2013 11:47AM

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 · 18-01-2013 11:47AM

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

donalg1 · 18-01-2013 11:48AM

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 · 18-01-2013 11:48AM

I want to go there.

lazygal · 18-01-2013 11:49AM

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 · 18-01-2013 11:49AM

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! · 18-01-2013 11:50AM

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 · 18-01-2013 11:51AM

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 · 18-01-2013 11:52AM

The end of lunch time babachino?

Simply scandalous!

Duggy747 · 18-01-2013 11:54AM

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 · 18-01-2013 11:55AM

donalg1 wrote: »

How do you know the toddler was adopted?

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

Death and Taxes · 18-01-2013 11:56AM

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 · 18-01-2013 11:57AM

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 · 18-01-2013 11:59AM

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 · 18-01-2013 12:01PM

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

ITS_A_BADGER · 18-01-2013 12:01PM

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 · 18-01-2013 12:02PM

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

themadchef · 18-01-2013 12:02PM

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.

18-01-2013 12:04PM

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 · 18-01-2013 12:04PM

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 · 18-01-2013 12:05PM

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 · 18-01-2013 12:06PM

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 · 18-01-2013 12:06PM

davet82 wrote: »

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

At lunch time?

18-01-2013 12:06PM

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 · 18-01-2013 12:07PM

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 · 18-01-2013 12:07PM

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.

Restaurant bans children...

Restaurants should have the right to refuse people with children? 1041 votes

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