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Should Restaurants Just Ban Children?
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jul 14, 2011
Modified Jul 14, 2011
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By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jul 14, 2011
Modified Jul 14, 2011
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There's been a big ole brouhaha about kids in restaurants in the past few days—specifically, about whether or not children and their big mouths and poor table manners should be allowed in restaurants at all.
It started last week in Pennsylvania, where a restaurant owner straight-up banned all kids under six from even setting foot into his establishment (respect). Then, bars like The Magician on the Lower East Side followed suit, and it turned out some highfalutin restaurants like Jean-Georges and The Place aren't so into the little screaming bundles of joy, either. "At family dining places that could be ok, but if I'm paying 100 bucks to sit down and enjoy meal, I don't want my meal to be interrupted by someone's kid pulling on my leg and yelling in my ear," opined food blogger Kenji Lopez-Alt.
Intrigued by all this anti-kiddie sentiment, we decided to ring up a few decidedly kid-friendly establishments around town. "Do I think restaurants should ban kids? Absolutely not! That's ridiculous," said a staffer at sugarplum-and-fairydust heavy Alice's Tea Cup, which serves a miniature tea set for tots. "We accept all sizes of people." And if you don't have kids of your own, but still wish to experience the unique pleasure of dining with wee ones, you're in luck: Chuck E. Cheese does, in fact, allow in adults unaccompanied by minors. Just remember: no French fries in the ballpit.
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banning children
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Jamie Feldmar
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