Dining out can be a stressful experience for parents, as managing kids in public can be challenging and sometimes disrupts the dining experience for others.
One couple recently claimed they were ‘fined’ for their children’s behavior. Here’s the full story.
A restaurant in North Georgia, Toccoa Riverside Restaurant, located outside of Blue Ridge, has ignited an online debate by allegedly charging patrons a fine for ‘poor parenting.’ This policy raises the question: Is it fair to penalize parents for their children’s behavior in a restaurant?
A Reddit user shared their experience at the restaurant, stating, “The owner came out and told me he was adding $50 to my bill because of my children’s behavior… disappointed by the experience.”
When contacted by a reporter, the restaurant owner, Tim Richter, clarified the situation. He explained that while the restaurant did add a surcharge during COVID-19 to cover additional costs, no recent fines were imposed on patrons’ bills for their children’s behavior.
Richter admitted he had never enforced the surcharge until a few weeks ago when a family visited with nine children who were running around the restaurant. Although he warned the parents, he never actually charged them the fee.
“We want parents to be parents,” he said. Toccoa Riverside Restaurant, nestled in the mountains along the Toccoa River, typically serves a calm clientele. The restaurant is quite popular, with cars often lining the roadside during meal times.
Laura Spillman, a visitor from Florida, expressed disbelief upon hearing about the policy. “That is crazy,” she said incredulously. “For real? I don’t think you should do it because kids are cute.”
Anne Cox, dining with her family, saw a potential benefit in the fee, suggesting it could encourage better behavior from children. “Parents need to teach kids etiquette,” she said. “They need to teach kids to behave. There are other people in the world, so they should have fun in the right place.”
Federico Gambineri, dining with his toddler, said it was the first time he had heard of such a policy. “Having a 20-month-old that maybe isn’t the best behaved at a restaurant, I’m hoping that I don’t get charged,” he added. “I feel that if I were charged, I would be very unhappy about it and probably never recommend the place to somebody.”