Gina Heslop
Eating out with kids can sometimes be difficult for parents, as managing their behavior in public can be challenging. One couple experienced such a challenge and claimed they were fined for it.
A restaurant in North Georgia, called Toccoa Riverside Restaurant near Blue Ridge, sparked controversy by fining customers for what they called ‘poor parenting.’ This policy raised many eyebrows online, with people debating whether parents should be charged if their kids misbehave in a restaurant.
A Reddit user shared their experience at this restaurant, explaining that the owner approached them and said an extra $50 would be added to their bill because of their children’s behavior. They expressed disappointment with the overall experience.
Tim Richter, the restaurant owner, later spoke to a reporter to share his side of the story. He explained that the surcharge was originally introduced to cover extra expenses during COVID-19, but clarified that no customer had actually been charged this fee.
However, he did use the threat of the surcharge recently when a family with nine children visited and the kids were running around uncontrollably. Despite warning the parents, he never ended up charging them. “We want parents to be parents,” Richter said.
The restaurant, located by the Toccoa River in the mountains, usually attracts a peaceful crowd and is popular enough that cars often line up along the road during dining hours. Laura Spillman, a visitor from Florida, was shocked when she heard about the policy, saying, “That is crazy. For real? I don’t think you should do it because kids are cute.”
Another customer, Anne Cox, who was dining with her family, thought the charge might actually encourage parents to manage 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, dining with his young child, was also surprised by the policy. He noted that his 20-month-old doesn’t always behave well at restaurants and worried about being charged. “I feel that if I were charged, I would be very unhappy about it and probably never recommend the place to somebody.”
Jack Schneider, a regular customer, had mixed feelings about the policy. 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.”
Some believe the policy could help encourage better behavior from kids, while others think it’s unfair. What do you think about this policy? Please share your thoughts in the comments on Facebook.
