PA Restaurant Bans Kids Under 6, CLT Businesses React

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by Fox Charlotte

Story Created: Jul 10, 2011 at 9:01 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jul 10, 2011 at 11:22 PM EDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - If your children are under six years of age, they will not be dining at McDain's Restaurant and Golf Center in Monroeville, a western Pennsylvania town.  The owner, a man named Mike Vuick, says there's "nothing wrong with babies, but the fact is you can't control their volume."  He says all that screaming and crying disturbs many of his customers.  The ban goes into effect July 16th.

"It also has to do with type of clientele you're going after, I think," says Brixx General Manager Mark Honeycutt.  He says his Uptown restaurant is known for being kid-friendly and he can't imagine turning their youngest patrons away.  Honeycutt says, "For us, it's a major part of our business and always has been since we opened up."

In Plaza Midwood, Diamond Restaurant manager Rhyne Franklin says he's never had customers complain about loud children, but he understands the desire for a quiet meal.  Franklin says, "People do want to come and have a meal and be able to talk to each other without any noise behind it."

Even still,  Franklin says he can't imagine banning children from the family-friendly business.  He says, "As long as the parents are being responsible and taking care of their kids, there is no reason for it."

In September 2010, a Carolina Beach restaurant, Olde Salty's, made news after a customer complained about a sign that said "No Screaming Kids." Owner Brenda Armes said, "If they find it offending, I suggest that they find another restaurant to eat at that does tolerate it, because we're not going to."  FOX Charlotte's Morgan Fogarty checked back in with Armes and she says the ban has been good for business.  Armes says 996 customers, and counting, have walked through her doors because of the "no screaming kids" ban.

Charlotte restaurant-goers we talked to say kids can ruin a meal.  Neal Mims says, "I don't like kids in restaurants.  I think it's a little sometimes over the top."  And Megan Johnson says, "I think it's just a respect issue with the people that are around in the restaurant."

The Pennsylvania restaurant owner went on to say that children "might be the center of their parents' universe, as it should be."  But he says, "they're not the center of everyone else's universe, too."
 

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