In a bold move a Monroeville, Pa. restaurant has announced that after July 16th they will no longer admit young children.
In an email sent to loyal customers, McDain’s Restaurant and Golf Center wrote,
“Beginning July 16, 2011, McDain’s Restaurant will no longer admit children under six years of age. We feel that McDain’s is not a place for young children. Their volume can’t be controlled and many, many times, they have disturbed other customers.”
Owner Mike Vuick explained his reasoning on Friday, saying,
“I think it’s the height of being impolite and selfish, and therefore, I instituted a policy.”
Let’s hope he doesn’t have grandkids because he also says he won’t be making any exceptions with the new rule.
“Nothing wrong with babies, but the fact is you can’t control their volume,” Vuick said. “There may be restaurants that prefer to cater to such things. Not here.”
Mr. Vuick believes that a majority of his customers will support the new policy.
“We’ve had the place here for 22 years, and the restaurant for nine, and I’ve noticed in those nine years there are certain parents who can’t leave their children at home. You know, their child — maybe as it should be — is the center of their universe. But they don’t realize it’s not the center of the universe.
Does that also mean that they will ban the person who receives a million phone calls throughout dinner, the loud-talking guy that’s had too much too drink or the celebrating family that won’t stop tinging their glasses because all of those ‘grown-ups’ are just as annoying?
If they were really smart they would invest in a couple of portable DVD players and have them on hand to offer help when a toddler has started to expire. All too often people blame the ‘crying baby’ when in fact there are lots of situations that cause a customer to be disturbed during dinner.
In Pennsylvania, restaurants cannot ban senior citizens, because they’re in a protected class under the law, but there is no law that protects children from being denied service, which is sad.
Related Articles:
APPARENTLY THIS GUY WANTS TO LOSE CUSTOMERS-CAUSE HE WOULD LOSE ME IF I LIVED THERE–THIS IS APPALLING
I hope people boycott his restaurant and he ends up osing it–and I agree–people that talk on their cell ohones loudly and have it always ringing are more disturbing to me than a child-give them crayons and paper and they are usually happy
I think it’s not a good idea. All it does is alienate customers and it’s not right. People with babies deserve to eat at nice places too!
The same for people who don’t like breastfeeding in restaurants… if they don’t like it they shouldn’t look.
Good for McDain’s!
If people with or without children don’t like it, they can do what those who don’t like their food would do, not give their business to this establishment. It’s really that simple.
We don’t have a right to NOT be offended in this country. We do have the right not to support something we don’t agree with.
We have three children, and are far from either old or people who dislike kids. It’s just about personal freedoms here.
Whatever, I would just go so ewhere else. Who would want to eat at a place that does not welcome every customer ? Me thinks he’s loosing some of his business.
What he should do is just have a drop off zone for kids for loyal customers. Create a side-business out of it. Keep his customers, avoid insulting clients and earn more money by providing a service.
I understand where he is coming from, but it could’ve been resolved in a different manner.
I think it’s perfectly fine for the owner to make their own rules. They must have had a lot of problems with this or they wouldn’t have made such a controversial policy. There are places that are not child-friendly and that is fine. I really don’t think it’s a big deal, there are so many other places to eat with small children. My 2 year old is quite a handful so we don’t go out to eat often anyway. I always try to be respectful of others as well, and there are places like fancy restaurants, movie theaters, concerts, etc. that I know she is not old enough to handle yet. This restaurant sounds like one of those places. I love kids, but I think adults also deserve a place to go where they can get some time away from them. 🙂
I hope I never get so old that I am annoyed by the crying of a child…..’cuz, ya’ know, I was never a kid myself or anything…. 😉