Dining Out with Kids: A New Challenge for Parents

Dining out can be a stressful experience for parents. Often, they struggle to control their kids in public, making the outing unpleasant for everyone involved.

The Unusual ‘Fine’

One couple faced this issue and claimed they were ‘fined’ for it. Keep reading to learn more about this surprising incident.

A restaurant in North Georgia did something no one expected: charging patrons a fine for ‘poor parenting.’ The Toccoa Riverside Restaurant outside of Blue Ridge sparked an online debate: is it fair to charge parents for badly behaved children?

The Reddit Revelation

A customer on Reddit shared their experience at the restaurant. They wrote, “The owner came out and told me he was adding $50 to my bill because of my children’s behavior… disappointed by the experience.”

The Restaurant’s Side

A reporter contacted the restaurant to get their perspective. The owner, Tim Richter, shared his side of the story. He explained that while the restaurant added a surcharge during COVID-19 to cover costs, they had not charged anyone more than their bill recently.

He mentioned that he had never threatened anyone with the surcharge until a few weeks ago when a family visited with their nine children. The children were running around the restaurant.

While he did warn the parents, he had never actually charged them the money! “We want parents to be parents,” he simply said. The restaurant, tucked away in the mountains along the Toccoa River, is used to a calm clientele. It’s quite popular, and during meal times, cars stretch along the roadside.

Mixed Reactions from Customers

Customer Laura Spillman, visiting from Florida, was shocked by the policy. “That is crazy,” she said incredulously. “For real? I don’t think you should do it because kids are cute.”

Anne Cox, dining with her family, saw the potential benefits. She said the fee could encourage parents to control their children better. “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, had mixed feelings. “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. “I feel that if I were charged, I would be very unhappy about it and probably never recommend the place to somebody.”

Regular customer Jack Schneider had never heard about the surcharge. “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.”