Should restaurants have "adults only" sections?

[Valiss]

Ever notice at nice up-scale restaurants where one should expect a certain atmosphere, there are parents who tend to bring their young children who for whatever reason? You know the kind: they can't sit still or talk quietly and seem to disrupt the entire place. And it typically seems the parents of these kids aren't really paying attention to them or otherwise attempting to calm them down. I know my parents did not take acting up. If you started to act up, you were out in the car and not getting any food.

Now obviously I'm not asking for restaurants to turn away families with children. But do you think it's reasonable to have a section of the restaurant reserved for families so that the children don't potentially disrupt the other customers? Let us know what you think?

[Anna Iram]

I personally think there should be a kennel of sorts for poorly trained children. Drop them off at the door and they will be watered and fed and walked and returned when you have finished dinning.

[William_MacKean]

I won't take my fiance's toddler to nice places.  I have also asked to be moved at nice restaurants if there is a rowdy child nearby.

If parents want society to respect their challenges of child raising, then they must show the same respect for those without children.

Plenty of restaurants designed for the family.  Don't need to go to the posh places and noisy it all up for the rest of them.  I do long for the day when she is old enough to sit still and enjoy a meal.  Granted, I am no foodie, but I do like to have a place to go without the squeal of the younger ones.  It's not their fault.  It's a natural part of growing up.  Parents just need to remain consistent and vigilant about teaching the child.

[LadyDracolich]

I think it's more than reasonable.  Many of my friends do not have children (me included) and while we generally don't mind children, but I certainly do want to go to a "nice" restaurant (or any restaurant) and sit near a screaming or unruly child.

My parents spanked and when I looked as thought I MIGHT get unruly when on an outing (didn't matter where) I got the dreaded, "Do we need to go to the bathroom and have a talk?".  That was code for, "If you don't stop it right now, I'm going to spank the crap out of you."  Amazingly, I responded quickly and ceased all bad behavior.  My friend in MD does the same thing.  She is such a pleasant and soft spoken person, but when she looks at her son and says those very same words, he too stops the offending behavior and turns back into the little gentleman we know an love. 

Yes I condone spanking (not beating), but I also think that if you teach your children proper behavior from the beginning, you are less likely to be one of those parents everyone hates in a restaurant.  Personally, I'd like to know what Count Adolfo thinks, seeing as he has one of the best behaved children I have ever met. 

[ladybootlegger]

This is one of the reasons why my husband and I simply don't go out anymore. No matter where we go, there are always screaming and unruly children. We live in a small town, and a lot of the "bars" double as resteraunts, so we can't even go there to escape children.

My father rarely let us get far enough to "have a talk." It was almost as though my dad could read our minds, and as soon as my brothers or I even got an idea into our heads about acting up...in any fashion, dad would say "the ring is down."
Dad's wedding ring (which he made himself) was solid gold, and rather thick on the outside of the band. Not to mention my father is a sizeable man, who doesn't know his own strength. We only had to get "tapped" on the top of the head with his ring down ONE time!

[angusmacinnes]

An adult section is a fine idea.  In an upscale restraunt I have a hard time even considering there being children there to begin with.  If they can afford to go there surely they can afford a sitter for the evening.  I have been to Saint-Emilion many times and I dont ever remember seeing a child in the place.  Maybe I was just lucky.

[ArielCallista]

I wouldn't take anyone under the age of 5 yo any where nicer than olive garden...unless the child is super well behaved! I think its a damned shame that there are parents out there that don't care if their children act out and think that everyone should cater to their child's needs. I totally understand that sometimes kids just won't settle down and if you know you have this sort of child, why take them somewhere where its gonna cost like $30+ to feed the child who is gonna end up pitching a fit about something and not eating all of the food that you have to pay for...its much more cost effective for the family to have their kid stay with a sitter, sibling, grandma etc...

I am definitely for there being an "adult section" most places still are divided up from when they used to be smoking/nonsmoking and most places are completely non smoking...its not like they'd have to do any kind of remodel to make it work...and If I'm gonna pay $40+ for just the entree for one person, I think I've paid for a stress free environment as well...

[Blue66669]

We take our children out to very nice restaurants, and we're very lucky that our children behave well. They order their dinner from the waitstaff (one's 4 and the other is 7), are very polite, and do not scream. Thank the jebus, cause I really do enjoy letting my children have a taste of fine dining.

[iain robb]

This thread reminded me of a policy at one of the restaurants at Disney World. It drew some fire, but Disney kept it:

Victoria & Albert's restaurant offers an intimate 2-hour to 2.5-hour dining experience in an adult- oriented atmosphere. Children under the age 10 will not be served.

I know restaurants across the USA have whined and moaned that no-smoking policies would cost them business ... and then seen their business go up after smoking is banned. I'm sure they would react the same way to suggestions that some should ban young children, but I think it would help their business.

[mehan]

Oh, this has so long been a gripe of mine - so I won't even go into it, but will tell a small story....

A couple brought their child and thier childs BIG WHEEL into our restaurant ("high power lunch" is prolly a good explanation), and proceeded to allow the child to ride the big wheel throughout the restaurant.  When I told them that I couldn't allow the child to ride his bike in the restaurant for the safety (and the comfort) of the other guests they walked to the front of the restaurant and YELLED "lets go Damien they don't WANT us here".   

I thought I had killed my biz - instead when they left the entire restaurant started clapping.  I actually made some good repeat customers.   

[Woodland Artisan]

I travel quite a bit on business(es) and enjoy going out to some of the best restaurants in the NYC, Chicago, Palm Beach, Boulder/Denver and Dallas areas.  Not too much, but maybe once or twice a month when I'm in the area.   30 times to 1 I've seen far poorer behavior out of the "adults" in these places than any children.  Maybe there's a bigger problem with Denny's or Olive Garden with kids but not very much that I've noticed at the good dining places.  So, I'm all for a section for the " Actual Adults".

As far as having some restaurants being "adult only", I have no problem with that.  Same goes for many venues.  I have children and don't see a need to have them around all the time.  Not everything is or should be for children or a family-oriented place.  What I do have a problem with are the many people that have an attitude about children just in general ...  on both sides of the fence.

[crashbot]

Yes, they should have adults only sections. I wont stop with just dining establishments either. I want adults only theaters (no THOSE kind), as well. Would also like to see adults only time at water parks, six flags, and grocery stores. And I mean adults only, as in no one under 18.

I live in the burbs and we have an infestation of terrible kids and terrible parents.

[Shandi]

My husband and I where at a "nice" resturant and we decided to wait in the BAR for our table, as we are sitting there this woman comes in with a child that is screaming loud enough to shatter glass. My hubby leans over to me and giggles "We'd like the no screaming section" I busted out laughing. The woman comes over and proceeds to cuss my husband out and then tells him he knows nothing about childrem. My poor hubby is a very shy conservitive man and he was mortified! He just stood there with his mouth hanging open. I pipe in and tell her she know's nothing about children using that language and taking them into the BAR! And I am sure my husband was talking to ME! she had the screaming kid by the arm this whole time and yep it was screaming. She huffed out of the resturant so fast! the entire bar started clapping and someone sent us drink!
Hell yes! they need a adults only section!

[LadyShadow]

My children can be unruly at times.  But I do not EVER take them to nice restaruants.  That is just asking for disaster right there.  The few times I am able to go out to a nice place with my Hubby, I dont want my time ruined because of someone's misbehaving children.

[LadyShadow]

My husband and I where at a "nice" resturant and we decided to wait in the BAR for our table, as we are sitting there this woman comes in with a child that is screaming loud enough to shatter glass. My hubby leans over to me and giggles "We'd like the no screaming section" I busted out laughing. The woman comes over and proceeds to cuss my husband out and then tells him he knows nothing about childrem. My poor hubby is a very shy conservitive man and he was mortified! He just stood there with his mouth hanging open. I pipe in and tell her she know's nothing about children using that language and taking them into the BAR! And I am sure my husband was talking to ME! she had the screaming kid by the arm this whole time and yep it was screaming. She huffed out of the resturant so fast! the entire bar started clapping and someone sent us drink!
Hell yes! they need a adults only section!

I agree with the children not being allowed into bar's.  There are several places children should not be brought.  Even being a Mom, I wont bring my children everywhere, I wait till their at school or get a babysitter.  And this latest complaint from some Mom's that bars should allow them to bring their children is ridiculous.  They need to wake up and realize something.