?? food from other restaurants, in your space??

So... all the folks that are shocked, SHOCKED! at the very idea of bringing food from another establishment into a restaurant.... I wonder if you're making hypothetical exceptions for elsewhere-bought birthday cakes.

Hopefully not.

thanks for all the support

bday cakes are always the exception (even though we offer great birthday cake as well, upon request)

children are future customers and should be treated with respect

hope to see you all soon
shawn

I agree with Dan:

He may be a little disappointed when he asks for "chicken nuggets and french fries" at a restaurant and they don't have it, but he's learning to try other foods and has found some new favorites.

Deb

I'm sorry Deb, But this is the way I see it...

If you can't find "Chicken Nuggets/Tenders/Fingers at any American;(or for that matter) any restaurant in North America then please let me know...That means they can't accomodate most of the next generation!

It's not my fault that most kids will not eat anything that's not "Crispy" or covered in "Cheese" or the good Lord will strike me down because I forgot to include a prize!

I've gotten the sense from this board that most restaurants are anti-kid which is why we rarely eat out anymore.

Maybe it's just my misperception, but I feel like there's a "kids suck" thread at least once a week. Or at least a "patrons suck" thread.

For the record - my 2yo daughter has never eaten fast food. If we bring in outside food, it's usually raisins or Oatios and never food from another establishment.

But I wonder if restaurant owners/chefs understand how off-putting it is to continue to read complaints about how annoying patrons and their children are. I'm in IT. I'm sure I'd be awfully careful about posting about annoying users on a board primarily frequented by the very users who keep me in business.

Just my two cents.

I don't think they're out of line.

I'm sure you vent to your co-workers about a difficult job or customer, in your line of work. I know I do. This is the same thing. It's human nature to comiserate with people who are in a similar situation to yours. As long as nobody is naming names, what's the harm? Let them vent.

I'm not going to stop going out to eat because somebody said something on a message board that offended me. In most cases I agree 100%. I, as a patron, would NEVER act the way some of these folks act.

If a restaurant was not up to par, these patrons would not hesitate to tell all their friends what a crappy experience they had, so why shouldn't the kitchen staff have somewhere to go to get advice on how to handle a difficult situation, or a difficult customer, or just to vent? It's better for them to unload it here, than onto a particularly frustrating customer.

And for the record, I don't recall seeing an outright "kids suck" thread on this board, ever.

Just my two cents.

There are, however, one or two posters - I would never say which ones - who are decidedly anti-child. I have noted which restaurants they work at, and I won't go, with or without children. I would ignore these folks and focus on the ones who welcome all ages. After all, outside mythology, none of us have sprung fully grown from our parents. All of us will be young and a bit messy - and old and a bit messy - and we should have a little patience.

alright, spill the beans . . . who hates kids?

But I wonder if restaurant owners/chefs understand how off-putting it is to continue to read complaints about how annoying patrons and their children are. I'm in IT. I'm sure I'd be awfully careful about posting about annoying users on a board primarily frequented by the very users who keep me in business.

Just my two cents.

I take it you've never dlsreports.com or the tech comedy site.

Where have I been that I've missed all of these 'kids suck" threads?

Dan,

You are right about most american restaurants,; I was referring to us going to Sahara or for mexican or other ethnic. Actually some of the Mexican places now do chicken nuggets and french fries, but we blatantly lie to him and tell him that "they don't have chicken nuggets and french fries here" so he'll have to eat something else.

It's not my fault that most kids will not eat anything that's not "Crispy" or covered in "Cheese" or the good Lord will strike me down because I forgot to include a prize!

No, it's not your fault, but please keep trying to offer at least one heathy/different option for kids. Haven't eaten there in years, but when my daughter (the adventurous eater) was little we used to go to Macaroni Grill specifically because they offered a heathy kids option (Grilled Chicken, steamed brocolli and angel hair pasta) on their kids menu and Sara loved it. It made us regular customers.

Deb

I agree with Dan:

He may be a little disappointed when he asks for "chicken nuggets and french fries" at a restaurant and they don't have it, but he's learning to try other foods and has found some new favorites.

Deb

I'm sorry Deb, But this is the way I see it...

If you can't find "Chicken Nuggets/Tenders/Fingers at any American;(or for that matter) any restaurant in North America then please let me know...That means they can't accomodate most of the next generation!

It's not my fault that most kids will not eat anything that's not "Crispy" or covered in "Cheese" or the good Lord will strike me down because I forgot to include a prize!

Sad, isn't it? Unfortunately, I know a few adults who eat the exact same way.

What a pity. There is so much more out there to eat than just chicken nuggets and french fries.

There are, however, one or two posters - I would never say which ones - who are decidedly anti-child. I have noted which restaurants they work at, and I won't go, with or without children. I would ignore these folks and focus on the ones who welcome all ages.

I think this is probably more accurate than what I said.

I don't think they're out of line.

I'm sure you vent to your co-workers about a difficult job or customer, in your line of work. I know I do.

Sure. But a lot more people read than post here. I know that I'm not the only person who's noticed.

If I was venting to my coworkers I'd want to know if I was doing it over the loudspeaker.

I could not imagine bringing in outside food to a restaurant! That being said, we have a friend who pretty much only eats grilled chicken and plain potatoes. She can normally find a way to make a menu work for her and declines to come with us to places she thinks may present a challenge.

Having a health condition that requires very specific foods and special accommodations is completely understandable, being a fussy pants is not.

As for the child situation - Mike & I don't dislike children - it's the parents who fail to teach their little angels how to act in public that we take issue with. We were both taught at an early age to appreciate going out to a nice dinner and to behave as if it wasn't our very first time out in a public place.

Now if we can just ban loud cell phone Bluetooth talkers from all restaurants, I would do a happy dance!

I might vent to a co-worker, or a family member. I might even vent on a standard internet message board where anonymity is the norm. I wouldn't vent in a public local forum, especially one with rules against anonymity. But that's just me.

Why do people who have super-restrictive diets or don't like restaurant food go out to eat?

I don't like killing animals for fun, so I don't go on hunting trips. I find that a better solution than to go hunting and then complain about it.

If you don't like something, don't do it.

(begin rant)

Why does a "chidren's menu" always consists of the following items :

Chicken fingers
Pizza
Spaghetti
Grilled Cheese

all served with fries.

Typically that's all you get, or order from the adult menu. Kids don't get to eat healthy? Kids don't get to try interesting food?

I hate going out and having to chose between feeding my daughter a plate of brown, fatty food or get an adult portion that she won't eat half of.

How about SOMEBODY offering something interesting for kids to eat? Kids can be picky. Kids typically don't want anything too daring or spicy, but there is more to life than the offerings they get.

IMO, there are very few truly kids friendly restaurants in this town, or any other. Unless you count a breaded, fried chicken like substance from the freezer as friendly. It's sad.

If THAT is what a restaurant is offering kids, then they can't complain when parents choose to bring in something else. Even if it's McDonalds, which has the same deep fried chicken substance and fries (with a toy) for 1/2 what you're trying to molest us for it.

(end of rant)