Oftentimes, it’s not until you have children of your own that you realise how hard it can be to do the simple things, like going to the toilet by yourself and eating out.
A welcoming face while out dining with your children can make you feel at ease – whereas a sign banning kids is enough to leave you feeling deeply hurt and seething with anger.
This was the case recently, for a resident of Tampa Bay, Florida. The unnamed parent was passing local bar-restaurant Hampton Station, when they caught sight of a large sign on the door which read, ‘No children’.
Outraged, the parent shared the image with the Tampa Bay Moms Group.
Before posting the image, the page’s admin stopped by Hampton Station to check it out. Once there, it all became a little clearer, with the official description of the establishment reading as ‘a beer garden specialising in the best German and American Craft Brews’.
“To put it simply…it’s a bar. It does seem they serve pizza and some bar-style dishes, but really, it’s a bar with food. The focus here seems to be clearly on the alcohol,” the admin wrote.
The page admin is totally fine with the rule change, noting that the establishment is obviously ‘now catering to a more mature crowd’.
“I checked their social media and websites, and it looks like a super-cool and chill adult hangout. And, parents or not, everyone deserves a little kid-free time; and really, like it or not, businesses can make these changes,” they wrote.
After the post went viral in the local area, Hampton Station issued a statement explaining the motivation behind their rule introduction.
“We had a few incidents the past couple of weeks where kids were endangering themselves and other patrons. From a liability standpoint, we just can’t afford to have that,” a spokesperson wrote.
“So, after a long discussion and plenty of thought on the issue, we decided this was our best course of action. It’s a hard decision, and I’m sure it’s going to hurt our business, but I just couldn’t live with the fact that a child might get hurt at Hampton.
“It’s a tough decision. We have people’s feelings, jobs and our business at stake – and there was no easy answer.”
While a few page followers were none too impressed with the move, the majority of locals were extremely supportive of the move.
“I would definitely go to a ‘no kids welcome’ place. My husband and I usually eat in the cocktail lounge if they serve a regular menu, ‘cause we don’t want to listen to kids whine and/or parents yelling at them,” wrote one woman.
“Kids don’t belong in crowded bars. People who are yelling about discrimination and the legality of banning kids from bars don’t care a bit about their kids’ safety,” another added.
“Adults-only sounds great to me,” chimed in another parent. “As a mum with older kids (16 – 24), it’s a little annoying to go out to dinner with my hubby on date night, and listen to babies/toddlers scream the whole time. Bring on the adult-time!”
What are your thoughts, mums?
