Kids bringing fast food into restaurants: What do you think?

If you find it so rude, feel free to patronize only those places with a strict "no outside food" policy. I think adults getting completely wasted and being really loud is rude, however, sometimes it happens, and you deal with it. If a kid eating a Happy Meal is so very upsetting to you, then I hate to see how you'd handle a truly catastrophic situation. Someone said earlier if a child wants to eat at McDonalds, to feel free to take them there. Guess they momentarily forgot that McDonalds is a chain, and therefore an evil no-no. So, what is a person with children supposed to do? Taking them out to eat at a nice place is offensive if they're picky, and only bad people patronize chains.

Is it ok or is it rude to bring in outside food. It is rude. I think it's insulting and not ok. Do I freak out and throw a fit when I see it happen? No. Do I lecture the parents at their table? No. Is it still rude? Yes. Is it rude to bring your own dessert? Yes. Do I accommodate patrons anyway without outward judgement? Yes.

Yep. Saw that the first time you posted it.

There is almost never a physical indication of a child having special dietary needs. So, what is the criteria you use when deciding whether a table is being 'rude' or if they are offending you?

There is also nothing written that people with children may not eat out. If a restaurant wants to impose a policy that no outside food or drink is allowed in, then I don't see a problem with that. But, if they do not enforce such a policy, then who is technically being rude to the other diners - the table that brought food which isn't against any restaurant policy, or the establishment that allowed it in so that they could fill a table?

Here's another question - What if someone purchased a burger and fries from a fast food joint, removed them from their wrappers and placed them into Tupperware containers as if they had been brought from home? Is that more acceptable and/or less offensive?

I understand that you can't discern whether or not a child has celiac disease or a nut allergy or whatever by looking at them, but at the same time I know of no dietary needs that require McDonalds or any other fast food as a remedy. When I eat in a restaurant I don't go checking all of the tables to see what people are eating, but if a family walked into a restaurant holding a fastfood bag I would probably notice. Most of the time I'm focused on my own family.

If you would go to all of the trouble of purchasing fast food and placing it in tupperware why even eat out to begin with? Get carry out for yourself and the fastfood for the child and eat it at home.

I guess I got lucky in the child lottery. Even when we went through the "one food" phases, we managed to go out on occasion and no one died of starvation. Once past toddler age the kids were expected to eat what we ate. We always had a a "no thank you helping" policy. Everyone had to try a teaspoon or equivalent of a "new" food, if they did not like it no one was forced to eat it. We did not go to any fast food places often, so it was a special treat to get McD's, etal. By the time they got into high school they really had a pretty decent palate. It never occurred to me to take another restaurants food or any outside food for them, once past the carrot sticks and cheerios for the toddlers. When they were sick they got to ask for "special" food and everyone gets to chose a dish for holiday dinners - I decided we did good when our youngest asked for Brussel Spouts for Christmas dinner

I thoroughly understand parents that want to make things "easier" and I would never presume to tell someone else how to raise their child, but I wonder about what happens as these children get older and do not get their way......Actually in my job, I am seeing some of it now, the expectation that they will get what they want, when they want and do not understand why they have to earn things. Ahh, that sounds like a whole other subject, so I will quit now.

Let each establishment set their own policies regarding "outside" food. If seeing Micky D's offends you, don't look.

That's all I'm saying. If it offends you, look away.

I'm tired of the "I don't like it so you can't do it" attitude. I don't like sitting next to someone in a restaurant who orders fish, because the smell of fish makes me turn green. However, most restaurants serve fish. It's a risk I take eating out, and I wouldn't expect anyone to NOT eat fish when dining out, because some people really enjoy fish. If you're going to let something as minuscule as a kid eating fast food, or food brought from home ruin your meal, rude or not, then I feel sorry for you. Is McDonald's the most healthy option, no, but you know what? If it's not your kid, you have no right to judge. In the grand scheme of things, with all the crazy crap going on in the world right now, people are really concerned with a hypothetical child eating hypothetical fast food in a hypothetical restaurant? Get a grip! Really.

It's an interesting topic for which people are offering opinions. Yes, there are more important world issues, but this is a restaurant forum.

People should always think about how their actions affect others even if that action is as small as bringing outside food into a restaurant.

I'm okay with "if offends you, look away" - from the other PATRONS. I'm looking at it from the restaurant owner/manager/employee perspective.

I think that is perfectly reasonable, Marsha.

However, if you, as a patron, are so offended by a paying customer bringing in food for their child, perhaps YOU should get takeout and eat at home, where there is absolutely NO chance of anything offending or upsetting you.

Marsha, thanks for the response. I completely disagree, but so be it. Comparing a restaurant with a strip club is uh.... interesting? I think you need to write an article about what goes on in the kitchen when we're not looking.



So what would a restaurant typically charge to whip up something special for my kid?

Would I be paying a ridiculous premium for it or would the price typically be reasonable.. and by reasonable I mean what you would expect to pay for a kids sized meal?

I typically associate "off the menu" with "lube up here comes the check". Is this a wrong assumption on my part?

I'm okay with "if offends you, look away" - from the other PATRONS. I'm looking at it from the restaurant owner/manager/employee perspective.

Ok Marsha... if an adult gets their feelings hurt because a CHILD doesn't like their food... then I honestly don't have the adjectives to describe the level of insecurity at work.

I uh... yeah.

Marsha, thanks for the response. I completely disagree, but so be it. Comparing a restaurant with a strip club is uh.... interesting? I think you need to write an article about what goes on in the kitchen when we're not looking.



So what would a restaurant typically charge to whip up something special for my kid?

Would I be paying a ridiculous premium for it or would the price typically be reasonable.. and by reasonable I mean what you would expect to pay for a kids sized meal?

I typically associate "off the menu" with "lube up here comes the check". Is this a wrong assumption on my part?

Yeah, it's a wrong assumption. There is no way a white tablecloth restaurant is going to rape you for a kids' meal, if they are a decent establishment. Cheesy noodles = max $4.99, most places. It's not that "special"! They are making it in the back all night for the servers! Chris, you know I love you and yours. I think you are laboring under some false assumptions, for sure...have you ever tried to order kids' food at a nice, sit-down restaurant? My guess is no...otherwise you'd already know this.

I'm okay with "if offends you, look away" - from the other PATRONS. I'm looking at it from the restaurant owner/manager/employee perspective.

Ok Marsha... if an adult gets their feelings hurt because a CHILD doesn't like their food... then I honestly don't have the adjectives to describe the level of insecurity at work.

I uh... yeah.

It's not about getting your feelings hurt...it's about "hey, you are buying what I'm selling somewhere else...and then bringing it into my restaurant and taking up real estate". Tables are real estate. Two parents ordering my menu food take up a two-top. Two parents ordering my menu food and bringing along two tykes with chicken fingers I could also provide are taking up TWICE THE SPACE. A four-top. Which I could seat another party at.

One last question.

My kid will only eat Pizza Hut pizza, I want Richo's?????

Well, Justin, apparently according to this crowd, you go to Pizza Hut and buy a pizza for the kids and bring it along to Rich O's, then take up a big family table and order personal-sized pizzas for you and your wife. And then the server gets tipped on you and your wife's pizzas, and then has to clean up the mess your kids made with the Pizza Hut Pizza.

Not entirely true, Marsha. I can understand the perspective of a person working in a restaurant. I totally get where you're coming from, and respect your opinions. I understand, from a business standpoint that it is potentially costing you money.

My issue is with the other patrons. People just need to mind their own damn business. If you are SO sensitive to little things, you need to lock yourself in your house and never come out. Really, when did people become so entitled?It's not all about "you." "You" are no more and no less important than anyone else, despite what your momma may have told you. Is it harming you in some way? Didn't think so. It's like the busybody old lady in my neighborhood who moves political signs around. Do you not have anything better to do with your time? Worry about yourself. If you worry about and try to control what everyone else is doing, you'll go insane.

I was speaking as a former restaurant employee, using my perspective as a former restaurant employee, not as a patron. I don't currently work in a food service, but that should not diminish the value of my opinion.

People seem really worked up about other people having opinions about this. No one said that seeing a kid with a fast food bag was going to drive them into conniption fits. I am not sure where people are getting that. The people on the side favoring kids bringing whatever food they want into a restaurant are the ones saying "just shut up" and something about throwing 2 middle fingers in the face of anyone who says that's wrong. Seems quite heated on that side.

I'm not personally offended. I am thinking of the restaurant and having pretty much the same thoughts as Marsha.