Last month, a pizzeria went viral for kicking out customers who weren’t watching their kids. Dragon Pizza, a Massachusetts-based pizza shop, took to social media to assure customers that while children are always welcome at their restaurant, negligence is not. “TO ALL OUR GUESTS WITH CHILDREN—Anyone who has visited our restaurant knows we are a pizza shop that LOVES KIDS,” its social post read. “Sadly, we had to demand a group of negligent parents Friday to take their families home because they were disrespecting our dining room, other guests, and our team. Our restaurant, or any restaurant, is not a place for unsupervised children to play. It is here to share dining experiences.”
The incident took the internet by storm and was even covered by People Magazine. It begs the question…what exactly do restaurant owners expect of their customers who bring kids to their restaurants? Where do we draw the line between customer service and babysitting? Delish spoke to restauranteurs and combed through Reddit threads to find out.
Do: Let Kids Experiment With Food
Mendel Segal, owner of Mendel’s Kansas City BBQ, explains, “There is nothing wrong with encouraging your kids to eat normal restaurant food, they don’t automatically have to eat a kids meal.” He encourages parents to let their kids explore the menu. “I used to love eating out and learning about food when I was young,” he continued.
Don’t: Let Kids Run Around
We totally get it. Sometimes, it’s just difficult to control your kids. But when you’re dining out at a restaurant, you really can’t let them run wild. You run the chances of colliding with waitstaff, getting spilled on, and getting hurt. Waiters are constantly making their way around the restaurant with breakable plates and hot dishes, and letting kids have free reign can get in their way—and in customers’ way too.” Any parent that lets their kid run around a restaurant should be jailed,” wrote one Reddit user.
Do: Come In With A Plan
“Have a plan to keep them under control,” Segal recommends. If that means bringing in your own coloring book and crayons, an iPad, or a car seat for napping, then do it. If you know your children have a short attention span and want to bring something to keep them entertained that won’t disturb other customers, go for it. However, “If it falls apart, be prepared to take them out,” Segal continues. Sometimes, it’s just not your night. If your kids wind up screaming and causing a scene, don’t let them go unchecked. If you need to recalibrate your night out and leave early, it’s better to ditch the plans and take care of business.
Don’t: Leave A Mess Behind
As previously mentioned, it’s totally fine (and acceptable) to bring in your own distractions if you want to keep your child occupied. But if you end up getting Goldfish crumbs everywhere and broken crayons become collateral damage, it’s best to clean up after yourselves. The waitstaff and bussers are there to clean up after you, but keep things reasonable. If you’re destroying the place, no one is going to be happy.
Do: Pay Attention To Your Kids
Kids can do the darnedest things sometimes. And while it might be charming in your own harm, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s charming when out and about. Reddit is filled with examples of kids behaving poorly in restaurants and parents just aren’t paying attention. “Please don’t let them take more sugars to play with as it is wasteful we have to throw them away for those that let their children continue putting them in their mouth,” commented one restaurant worker. Anything on the table that is typically left for the next customers should be handled carefully and is likely not meant to be played with.
Many workers agree that kids can often act like a nice restaurant is akin to a Chuck E. Cheese. “We had to stop giving out crayons and color sheets in restaurants because the kids were drawing on tables and windows, and corporate got tired of paying to have the crap scrubbed off. Parents just sit there and let it happen,” lamented another worker. Workers also agree the kids’ table is a bad idea. Keep a mix of adults with kids instead of lumping them all together so that you can actually keep an eye on them.
Do: Put Yourself In Others’ Shoes
As a parent, try to think of what the other customers and the workers at the restaurant would want and expect. Many people go out to eat for a nice, relaxing meal that they don’t have to cook themselves. Maybe the people at the table next to you had a tough day at work. Perhaps your server is working a double shift. It’s always wise to put yourselves in others’ shoes and do the best you can to make sure that your decision to dine out isn’t causing chaos for others around you. At the end of the day, people know that dining out with children can be difficult, but make sure to respect the establishment you’re in.
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