Are there any local restaurants banning children?

I thought there was an interesting item on the Today Show this morning.

http://www.today.com/moms/restaurant-bans-kids-night-joins-others-adding-child-free-policy-6C10881861

http://www.today.com/id/43718876/ns/business-small_business/#.UgY2eRYqMU8

Beyond the Today Show I also found http://eater.com/archives/2013/08/06/houston-restaurant-bans-young-kids-after-700-pm.php

My question is this: Are any local restaurants currently banning chilren?

[Robin Garr]

Are any local restaurants currently banning chilren?

Indirectly, I expect restaurants that are primarily bars with food on the side and no dining area separate from the bar might be skittish about admitting kiddos. I'm not sure what exactly the law says about the presence of minors as opposed to serving minors, though. Anyone?

Are any local restaurants currently banning chilren?

Indirectly, I expect restaurants that are primarily bars with food on the side and no dining area separate from the bar might be skittish about admitting kiddos. I'm not sure what exactly the law says about the presence of minors as opposed to serving minors, though. Anyone?

I think it depends on the type of license they hold on and if food is being served at the time.

I don't believe kids are ever allowed to sit at a bar seat.

One would hope that parents would have a feel for places that welcome children and those that don't. If they don't have a kids menu, that's a good sign that they don't want children.

I don't believe kids are ever allowed to sit at a bar seat.

Whether it's officially allowed or not we've seen it several times at Johnny Brusco's in Norton Commons.

No kids are allowed at Holy Grale- for the "bar serving food reason". in the article, the restaurant is banning children in the evening for " quiet, adult dinner purposes". As a parent, I have no problem with the latter, as long as you warn ahead and you understand you won't get nearly as much business because of it . We eat out with our 9 year old most times we go out.
Deb

In Indiana (unless the law changed since my youngest was little), the law does not allow children in places that the bar is not separate from the dining area. When Edward was a baby, we tried to go to the original Rocky's and was told it was an hour wait. Waiting that long with a baby was not appealing, so we tried a place that was next door at the time, I think it was called the Lighthouse. We walked in and were met at the door and told they could not serve us because of that law. A few months later, I was with a group after a meeting in the Hyatt with baby in tow and was told the manager was uncomfortable with us because we were in the bar area (the only place open at the time) and were asked to leave. Our family joke is that Edward was thrown out of TWO bars before he was a year old.

Readers reaction to the story seems to be pretty much one sided....The "poll" question at the bottom of the story asks:

Would you be more likely to frequent a restaurant that banned kids in the evening?

Of the 57 thousand respondents, 77% say yes they would be more likely to frequent a restaurant with such a policy.

Interesting.

I would be more likely to frequent a restaurant with a no-kids policy, but I'm not aware of any in Louisville that aren't primarily bars. I've seen a handful in other cites though.

Jay my 12 almost 13 year old loved England because he was allowed to walk up to the bar and order a coke! Every pub we went into there were kids. IMO the Americans view of alcohol is pretty ridiculous. Alberto's in Corydon is a very small restaurant with a short bar with about four stools. The first time we went in it was all open, the second time he had a rope in front of the bar allowing just enough room for one to squeeze onto a bar stool. This is because an inspector walked in and almost closed him down because he did not have a separate bar area. The very fact that a rope is deemed sufficient to protect the under 21's from seeing, touching or smelling alcohol is absolutely crazy. I know this is not what the post is about, but it really makes me laugh the way drinking is perceived here. Jay had a shandy in England but he didn't like it, so he went back to coke. If he wants to try a shandy again next year, I have no problem with that at all, it is hardly going to make him a delinquent!

I might come off sounding anti kid here, but a fine example of why I don't frequent "family friendly" establishments happened this morning. We went to breakfast at a popular Highlands eatery and there were two tables with parents with toddlers that were more than happy to let their toddlers "toddle" all over the place. However aborable you might think that is, I really don't want them grabbing at my Sunday paper with thier grubby little mitts. Your half hearted "Sorry" doesn't really make up for it. Why do parents think this is acceptable behavior? If I were to try to bring my dogs into the same establishment, I'm certain that would meet with scowls of dissapproval, even though they are usually better behaved than most children in public these days.

Very well stated Dan!

I might come off sounding anti kid here, but a fine example of why I don't frequent "family friendly" establishments happened this morning. We went to breakfast at a popular Highlands eatery and there were two tables with parents with toddlers that were more than happy to let their toddlers "toddle" all over the place. However aborable you might think that is, I really don't want them grabbing at my Sunday paper with thier grubby little mitts. Your half hearted "Sorry" doesn't really make up for it. Why do parents think this is acceptable behavior? If I were to try to bring my dogs into the same establishment, I'm certain that would meet with scowls of dissapproval, even though they are usually better behaved than most children in public these days.

I am a parent with a toddler and I wouldnt find this acceptable.

Why do some parents allow it? Laziness....period. Being a parent takes work. Instilling and upholding discipline takes work. And for whatever reason (both parents work or whatever) people these days think they are just to tired to do their jobs as parents.

They let their kids run around like animals at home and then are amazed when they want to act the same way in a restaurant. Look folks your kids dont understand the difference between a restaurant and home. If you want them to behave in public set the same expectations and boundaries when dining at home! It takes work but its not impossible.

Does my 16 month old still throw the occasional tantrum at a restaurant? Sure. But then we get up, go outside, have a heart to heart talk about expectations and then come back inside again. Works every time.

Sorry but as a parent myself I dont cut other parents slack in this area.

I adore children, work with children and think they add value and missing meaning to our lives that we may not be able to find elsewhere. Would I want to dine in a. "No kids allowed" restaurant?
You bet. In a heartbeat. Charge me extra in fact.

I really don't mind kids in a restaurant but many parents don't seem to know when it's time to either...
A. Rein them in to their own table
Or
B. Take them outside until they calm down.

For me it's not just not wanting to hear a crying child. Mostly it's the anxiety I feel when I see a kid toddling around tables or worse running through a restaurant. There's a safety issue there.

I am a parent with a toddler and I wouldnt find this acceptable.

Why do some parents allow it? Laziness....period.

Does my 16 month old still throw the occasional tantrum at a restaurant? Sure. But then we get up, go outside, have a heart to heart talk about expectations and then come back inside again. Works every time.

Sorry but as a parent myself I dont cut other parents slack in this area.

Thanks Doug! You obvously get the point I was trying to make. Unfortunately, your efforts at good parenting seem to be the exception more and more rather than the standard rule that most of us were rasied on. I really like kids, but not when they are allowed to do whatever they want and it intrudes on my dining experience. I'm not just picking on the kids, because they really don't know any better if allowed to act like that in public. But I find it just as annoying as an obnoxious drunk being loud or other boorish behavior that grown ups will show from time to time in public as well.

I have mixed feelings on this. I have found myself plenty annoyed at parents who let their children run wild when I'm eating or having drinks (Cumberland Brews comes to mind strongly on that one!) but I also think it's important for parents to not be discriminated against and for children to learn how to behave in public and be kind to waitstaff.

Several weeks ago I went to Simply Thai, and a toddler actually toddled **INTO THE KITCHEN**!!! (He had been running around more or less unencumbered the whole time we were there.) The parent and grandparent accompanying the child thought it was cute. It was not, and it could have easily resulted in injury to the employees as well as the kid. To the staff's credit, they handled it very well, with smiles and taking the child's hand to walk him back to his table.