Parents are furious at café owner, Bob Higginson, who has banned children from his premises, yet still allows dogs in his café.
Bob, who runs The Chart Room in Brixham, Devon, believes there is nothing wrong with this policy. He stated that children are not necessarily banned from his café, but he encourages parents with young kids to stay away from The Chart Room.
Local resident, Wendy Moore spoke to Devon Live about the controversial issue, “What kind of town are we living in when dogs are allowed into an establishment and children are not? Who on Earth does Bob Higginson think he is? Would he ban disabled people from entering his premises? Or people of a particular race or colour or religion? I’ll bet my bottom dollar he wouldn’t.”
Many residents want to boycott the premises, which has only been open for one month.
Bob is not fazed by the abuse and stands by his decision. He says that he has received ten supportive messages for every negative one.
He believes there are plenty of other cafes in the area for children to attend. He states, "We don’t want it to be a normal coffee shop because there are lots of places to get a nice coffee in Brixham.”
Parents have also expressed their anger over the fact that dogs are welcome at the coffee lounge, but Bob says they never cause any harm. He says, “I’ve never had a badly-behaved dog come in, no dog has ever broken anything in the shop.”
Mr. Higginson wants his customers to feel like they are sitting in an ocean liner rather than a standard coffee shop. He believes banning children from the shop helps create the right atmosphere.
The business hasn’t been affected by the controversy, “It’s very popular and a lot of people have said they approve of the no children policy.”
Bob, who is a father-of-two, loves children but firmly believes his coffee lounge isn’t the right place for them to spend their time.
The main demographic of The Chart Room is older and he believes it is important to create a calm and quiet atmosphere for his clients. He wants the best for his customers, “I wanted people to be able to come and discuss the old days and have a nostalgic chat without children running around and distracting them.”
Bob has apologised for any offense the policy may have caused and states that he did not intend to cause any harm. He also revealed that they may adjust the age limit in the future.
