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No to restaurants that refuse children!
- 08 Jun 2016
- News from the restaurant industry
- 2 Comments
Have you ever felt awkward in a restaurant with your child? Or been refused service because the restaurant doesn't accept strollers? Times change, but bad habits don't always evolve.
Some restaurants refuse access to children. At Welcome Family, we take a stand against this idea.
Welcome Family campaign! "Against restaurants that refuse children
As parents, we've been there and done that. No seats for us, no children's menus... It's true that many restaurateurs don't offer children's menus! Nothing could be more annoying when you have small children... And on top of all that, they're not equipped for baby to sit at the table, or even a changing table for baby? A moment of pleasure ends up becoming a moment of constraint... In such cases, the reflex is to say to yourself, next time I won't come back here!
Remember 3 years ago, in 2013, that restaurant in Antibes that refuses babies! A sign in the restaurant window read "no strollers, no babies here". This restaurateur was fully aware of his position: "Firstly, there's a safety concern. If there's a fire, I'm responsible. Secondly, people who come to eat at my place want peace and quiet. Those who have children pay a nanny to look after them; it's not to put up with other people's kids!
It's not just in France. In the USA, the practice of "No Kids Allowed" is commonplace and legal. Some restaurants are deliberately closed to young children. There are even supermarkets (Whole Foods) in the USA, where children are not allowed in the aisles at certain times! In North Carolina, the Olde Salty's restaurant warns with a sign on its door that "screaming children will not be tolerated". Let's hope this practice doesn't become commonplace in France..
This is a real loss of earnings for all these restaurants... Today, more and more families go out to eat with their children, so why not capitalize on this as a restaurateur? Offer a children's menu, equip the restaurant properly and pamper the children to win the loyalty of parents. Unfortunately, very few restaurants take the time to cater for families.
Testimonial from Fredéric, founder of the Welcome Family brand at the Bistrot des Philosophes in Aix-en-Provence:
"I suggested to my wife that we go for a meal on a sunny terrace one Sunday with our 2 dear not blond heads (Milo aged 10 and Gabriel aged 5 ). We stopped off at a restaurant known for being "expensive" (dishes cost more than €25), but the setting and decor were well worth it. On reading the menu, we realize that there is no children's menu, and no dishes suitable for our 5-year-old. I kindly ask the waiter if he can suggest a suitable children's dish. He sends me the boss... I introduce myself, our welcome family business, and suggest that he create a children's menu. This gentleman tells me he's just bought the restaurant, adds that he's a Parisian (so what?) and says he'll tell his wife about my suggestion, then turns on his heel (as if he's still talking...). Unfortunately for this restaurateur: I'm a native of the town, I know a lot of people and so word of mouth will work in the negative ... And finally we went to eat elsewhere (A la Mado) and left a bill of 115 € for our table with children!!!! All's well that ends well, we were in the sun, with impeccable service and we and our children happy."
As you know, we supply many establishments in France (restaurants and hotels) to customers who are convinced that it's important to take good care of their customers, especially their children!
To help families find a "kid-friendly" establishment, we list all these establishments in our guide. The aim is to make up for bad experiences. Here, children are welcomed like royalty! A few ideas for create your own "kids friendly" restaurant !
What's your opinion on the subject?
" No kids allowed " or " welcome family
Mes parents ne m'emmenaient pas partout (et cependant je crois que je n'étais pas chiant). Je n'ai pas emmener mon fils, jeune, au restaurabnt. Et cependant il était calme. Maintenant les parents se permettent d'ennuyer les autres avec leurs mioches mal éduqués. Jadis les mamans pliaient les poussettes avant de monter dans les bus. C'est terminé! Les gens sont des gorets pour beaucoup.
Moi aussi j'étais très bien éduquée par mes parents quand j'étais enfant. Cependant, en public (ex : au restaurant, comme c'est écrit dans l'article), j'étais très calme et sage la plupart du temps afin de respecter les autres autour de moi (c'est vrai que quelquefois j'étais capricieuse, égoïste et égocentriques on est d'accord) et pourtant, mes parents ne m'emmenaient pas partout car eux aussi, avaient besoin d'une soirée, d'avoir des vacances, des moments tranquilles et d'intimité à eux deux, dans le calme, sans cris et sans pleurs.
Maintenant, je suis totalement d'accord avec vous : effectivement, comme vous le dites, les parents d'aujourd'hui, même en période de Covid 19, se permettent d'ennuyer les autres avec leurs mioches mal éduqués, idem quand les vacances d'été arrivent (manque de politesse, irrespect des autres, cris, rires, caprices et pleurs continuels, argumentation incessante, questions stupides et/on conversations d'adultes qui ne les regardent pas, même repas midi et soir (c'est-à-dire coquillettes-jambon et non des légumes), piscine éclaboussée h24, doudou h24 collé sur eux alors qu'il faut s'en détacher vers 4-5-6 ans, désintéressement aux nouvelles visites/ qu'il y a autour d'eux, fusion et dépendance de la mère, manque de socialisation avec des enfants de son âge, etc...).
Alors qu'autrefois, nous les parents, on savait très bien éduquer nos enfants (y compris en société), ce qui les a permis de sortir et acceptés partout sans honte : être sage, finir son assiette car sinon, il n'y avait pas de dessert, manger de tout sans rechigner et en silence, ne pas prendre la parole à table, s'occuper seul silencieusement, arrêter de déranger nos parents, savoir lire, savoir jouer d'un instrument de musique, savoir parler une langue étrangère et plus spécialement l'anglais, ne pas courir partout y compris sur la plage, être couché à des heures précises, etc...
Bref, on avait davantage notre place d'enfant. Point barre !
Et aujourd'hui, comme vous le dites, la plupart des parents ne savent pas remettre leurs mioches à leur place d'enfant. D'ailleurs, comme vous le savez, j'ai 24 ans et je n'ai plus envie d'entendre les cris, caprices, pleurs, jérémiades ou questions stupides des enfants des autres puisque j'ai VRAIMENT passé l'âge de subir ce genre de comportement ! Voilà !