Today's entry in the 'News That Isn't' category comes from Monroeville, Pennsylvania.
Mike Vuick, owner of McDain's restaurant, has decided on a news business model. Instead of being a family style casual restaurant, his goal is to have an 'Upscale, casual and quiet' restaurant. The italics are mine, because to achieve this new business model, Mike made the decision to ban children under the age of 6 from eating at McDain's.
Good for him. As a business owner, he decided that his business has the potential to be more profitable marketing towards a happy mature clientele than family's. This isn't a tax-payer sponsored enterprise, 'FAIR' shouldn't enter into the equation.
I have absolutely zero problem with this decision. I actually wish more places did this...as a parent, I have been on both sides of the noise producing equation. My kids have always been fairly well behaved at eating out, but that means they act civilized...at least once a meal we need to remind them to use their 'inside' voices.
SWMBO and I are already pretty responsible in where we bring the girls. We have a shirt-list of 'date-night' type places, and I don't bring my girls there for dinner. Kind of the Golden Rule of dining...not everyone follows this rule. If Mike Vuick thinks he can turn his restaurant into this kind of place, I wish him luck. If some family's are that upset because they can't eat there...get a sitter and enjoy a quiet dinner! If it isn't good enough to pay for a sitter to enjoy it, then it isn't good enough to get all butt-hurt about being able to go to. A quick check on yelp shows that there is a Red Lobster, a Golden Coral, an Olive Garden and a Bob Evan's in town...take your kids there.
Sheesh...
I find it a bit snotty, to be honest...and so I have zero interest in giving him my money. Why the hell would I want to take my kids somewhere they're not welcome?
ReplyDeleteSabra, your kids know how to behave properly in public, and you require them to do so. That puts you in the minority. I'd eat out more often if more restaurants had this policy; these days most parents think the whole world is their living room. I wish more business owners had the guts to tell unruly children that their behavior is not acceptable, and that's just sad because that's the parents' job. And I don't have to tell you it's not rocket science. During the school year I see hundreds of children a week on the bookmobile. They behave because they know the can't come back if they don't.
ReplyDeleteIt's not so much the children who aren't welcome in that restaurant, it's the irresponsible parents.
What? A business owner making his own decision of how to run his business? Can't have that - especially discrimination against children. Somebody's going to file a complaint of some sort...
ReplyDeleteNext thing you know, some business owner may decide his customers can enjoy legal activities in his non-taxpayer supported business...like smoking. (I'm not a smoker)
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