Dining out can be stressful for parents, especially when kids act up. It can turn a fun meal into a tense situation for everyone around.
One couple had a particularly rough experience and claim they were even ‘fined’ for it. Intrigued? Keep reading to find out more.
In North Georgia, a restaurant did something surprising: charging customers a fee for ‘poor parenting.’ The Toccoa Riverside Restaurant near Blue Ridge has stirred up an online debate: is it fair to charge parents for their kids’ bad behavior?
A customer shared their story on Reddit. They wrote, “The owner came out and told me he was adding $50 to my bill because of my children’s behavior… I was disappointed by the experience.”
Curious to hear the other side, a reporter contacted the restaurant. The owner, Tim Richter, explained the situation. He admitted that while they had added a surcharge during COVID-19 to cover costs, they hadn’t recently charged anyone extra.
Richter clarified that he had never threatened anyone with the surcharge until a few weeks ago. A family with nine children visited, and the kids were running wild. He warned the parents but didn’t actually charge them the extra money.
“We want parents to be parents,” he simply said. The restaurant, nestled in the mountains along the Toccoa River, usually caters to a calm clientele. It’s a popular spot, and during meal times, cars line up along the roadside.
A customer named Laura Spillman, visiting from Florida, couldn’t believe the policy when she heard it.
“That is crazy,” she said in disbelief. “For real? I don’t think you should do it because kids are cute.”
Anne Cox, dining with her family, thought the fee might encourage better behavior.
“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, at the restaurant with his toddler, was surprised by the policy. “This is the first time I’ve heard of that, and 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 said. “If I were charged, I would be very unhappy about it and probably never recommend the place to anybody.”
Jack Schneider, a regular at the restaurant, had mixed feelings. “I have mixed emotions on that,” he said. “At the same time, we’ve all sat next to tables where you say, ‘Hey, do something with that kid.’ So I really think it’s more on the parents.”
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What do you think about this debate? Let us know in the comments. Share this piece with others so they can give their opinions too.
