Dining out with kids can be a challenging experience for parents. Sometimes, children’s behavior can get out of control, leading to an unpleasant time for everyone present. In a recent incident, a couple claimed to have been fined by a restaurant for their children’s behavior. However, the restaurant owner has now come forward to reveal the truth behind the story.
The incident came to light when a customer shared their experience on Reddit. They stated, “The owner came out and told me he was adding $50 to my bill because of my children’s behavior… disappointed by the experience.”
Curious to understand both sides of the story, a reporter reached out to the restaurant owner, Tim Richter. Richter clarified that while the restaurant had implemented a surcharge during the COVID-19 pandemic to cover additional costs, they had not recently charged anyone more than the bill amount.
Richter explained that he had never threatened anyone with the surcharge until a few weeks ago when a family with nine children visited his restaurant. The children were running around and causing disturbance throughout the place. While Richter did provide a warning to the parents, he never actually imposed the surcharge on them.
“We want parents to be parents,” Richter emphasized. The restaurant, located along the scenic Toccoa River, typically attracts a calm clientele. The establishment is quite popular, with cars lining up along the roadside during meal times.
Visitors to the restaurant were taken aback by the alleged policy. Laura Spillman, who was visiting from Florida, expressed her disbelief saying, “That is crazy! For real? I don’t think you should do it because kids are cute.”
Anne Cox, who was having lunch with her family, saw the potential benefit in the fee. She believes that it could encourage parents to take more responsibility for their children’s behavior, making the dining experience more enjoyable for everyone. Cox stated, “Parents need to teach kids etiquette. 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, expressed surprise, saying, “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. If I were charged, I would be very unhappy about it and probably never recommend the place to somebody.”
Jack Schneider, a regular customer, shared his mixed emotions about the surcharge. While he understood the frustration of dining near unruly children, he also felt that it ultimately boils down to the parents’ responsibility. Schneider commented, “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.”
