Restaurant charges parents $50 fee for ‘loud’ children
‘Adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent $$$’ menu reads
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Your support makes all the difference.A restaurant has decided to include a surcharge for parents of unruly children, leaving some people to question whether the policy is fair or not.
The Toccoa Riverside Restaurant in Georgia has gained attention on Reddit through the “Mildly Interesting” subreddit. The post in question, which was shared by an individual with the username u/LPineapplePizzaLover, showed a photo of the restaurant’s menu which read: “Adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent $$$.”
The menu also included a warning that they will charge customers a 20 per cent gratuity if they are a party with more than six people, ask for separate checks, or request a “birthday menu”. If customers pay with a credit card they will be charged an extra 3.5 per cent.
Many people left a comment on the post listing all of the extra fees as a reason to not visit the restaurant. “The number of red flags on this menu, I’d just go ahead and say no thanks,” one Reddit comment began.
“I mean, the parenting thing is one bit, but if they can’t get their s**t together enough to deal with setting a price that deals with their credit card fees, and their solution is to show the cheap price and add a surcharge? If that’s the case, I don’t have a lot of faith in the quality of their supply lines, or in the rigor of their kitchen safety procedures.”
Another commenter pointed out reviews that had been listed for the restaurant on Google, such as one that read: “The owner came out and told me he was adding $50 to my bill because of my children’s behaviour. My kids watched a tablet until the food arrived, ate their food and my wife took them outside while I waited and paid the bill ... Disappointed by the experience.”
“If you have children, absolutely avoid this place at all costs,” another review for the restaurant began.
“Holy moly - the most disrespectful owner made a huge scene in front of the entire restaurant because our children were ‘running through the restaurant’ - they were down by the river.. we were told we need to ‘go to Burger King and Walmart’ and that we were bad parents. They have a $50 surcharge for ‘bad children’. We were a group of 21 and our server was AMAZING and was overly apologetic. Terrible business practice, we will never be back.”
However, not everyone was completely against the idea of charging extra for families, as some people supported the concept. “This place is great, and you were 100 per cent in the right about the unruly family with children. Do not bring your wild children to public places and expect your butts to be kissed. Love this restaurant,” one review for the restaurant on Google reads.
Another reviewer agreed, writing, “I am writing this review to thank management for their policy to charge parents if their little angels act unsupervised. Restaurants are not the personal playgrounds for your kids, if that’s what you are looking for, take them to McDonalds…”
The Independent has contacted the Toccoa Riverside Restaurant for comment.
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