REMEMBERING THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (November 12, 2023)(CNBnews)--Back in the day, there were no fast food "restaurants." Mcdonald's, Wendy's, and others were in their infant stage and locally owned. If someone wanted to go out for dinner, it was usually on a Saturday night; a couple wore their best clothes and got a babysitter for their kids.
Where did those days go?
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Today, we have very few locally-owned restaurants; they are mostly chains. If you travel anywhere, you are pretty sure you will find a Walmart, Target, an Olive Garden, Longhorn, and a few more well-known chains. Now, people don't get dressed, they don't get babysitters, and, sadly, that means they bring their little darlings with them. However, not everyone in the restaurant loves your little darlings as much as you do, and the restaurants are starting to make that known to parents.
A Georgia restaurant - Toccoa Riverside Restaurant - has printed on its menu, "Adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent." Some online reviews have stated they were charged as much as $50. A babysitter would be less expensive especially when you include the price of the children's meals.
One person vented online, "The most disrespectful owner made a huge scene...because our children were running through the restaurant. We were told we need to go to Burger King."* This diner seems to be oblivious to the other diners around her or that servers are carrying trays of hot food that can/will be spilled over the children.
In Titon Falls, NJ, a restaurant called Nettie's House of Spaghetti will not allow children under the age ten into the restaurant. The reason they give is "noise level, space for highchairs, cleaning up crazy messes, and liability" if the child runs into a server with hot food or drinks.
There are several other restaurants, but in California, one goes the other way. Anyone under the age of 18 has to be accompanied by an adult. The reason offered is that teenagers in the past have demonstrated bad behavior and damage.**
It appears that this curtailment may be coming to a restaurant near you.
* Source USA TODAY: A Georgia restaurant goes
viral for $50 "bad parenting" surcharge.
** Source Liz Calvario, Today, 02/09/2023