Noise Prompts Monroeville Restaurant To Ban Young Kids

WTAE ^ | July 8, 2011 | Unknown

[Immerito]

MONROEVILLE, Pa. -- Stephanie Kelley, of Trafford, has been a weekly customer of McDain's Restaurant and Golf Center. Not any more.

The eatery on Broadway Boulevard in Monroeville has decided to stop admitting young children, and she's the mother of a toddler.

"I can't believe this. I am offended. This is just an ignorant policy," Kelley told Team 4 investigator Jim Parsons.

In an email sent to loyal McDain's customers, owner Mike Vuick wrote, "Beginning July 16, 2011, McDain's Restaurant will no longer admit children under six years of age. We feel that McDain's is not a place for young children. Their volume can't be controlled and many, many times, they have disturbed other customers."

[unkus]

Good. They should be in bed by that time, anyway.

[Emperor Palpatine]

Thank God some restaurant owner has the stones to do this.

I get upset when some people’s “little darlings” act like Bebe’s Kids in a nice restaurant when I’m trying to enjoy a meal.

And when something’s said to the parents THEY have the chutzpah to get an attitude.

Either leave your kids home or go to McDonald’s. The world doesn’t revolve around your brood, (or any kids, FTM), and many of us would like to just NOT be around undisciplined screaming kids all the time.

[Hodar]

It will surge; then the legal system will get involved.

Remember back in the good old 80’s; apartments set up a ‘Singles’ industry? Basically the rules were simple - this apartment complex(s) catered to the single adults. 20-100 yrs old. Pool parties, mixers; it gave single professionals a chance to mingle with other professional singles.

Well, the states deteremined that this was not a Constitutional perogative of freedom of association; this was a method of discriminating against families with children (who bother residents, are rougher on the apartment, leave toys on the sidewalk, run their toy cars on top of new cars, ect).

What happened? The apartments were FORCED to accept anyone who could afford the rent; to move in. Didn’t matter if this was your basement, your Fourplex or your apartment complex. Big Brother knows best; and Big Brother demands you serve EVERYONE - no matter how the other customes feel about it.

[ken in texas]

Welcome to the club. My wife and I took our grandsons (ages 3 and 4) out to eat last week. As we were leaving the couple sitting behind us commented to me how well-behaved our grandsons were. All I could say was “thank you... please don’t come to our house in 30 minutes, they don’t act this way at home”. :)

[momtothree]

Two grandsons... a year apart. Do you have any windows that aren’t broken at this point? LOL. In public, I expect good behavior and for the kids to act like little ladies or a gentleman. At home, they can let their true “hooligan” nature come out and vent their steam and energy. I would rather “saints” in public and “demons” at home than the opposite.

[kiki04]

my children, 5 and 7 order their own food at restaurants. It is how we are teaching them how to order politely. When it comes their turn, it is

"May I have the ............., please."

what is rude about that??

We usually get compliments on their behavior in places, but they use table manners at home, so they use them out and about also.

[ken in texas]

The windows are intact, but several other items around the house have met their demise.

It's usually about 20 to 30 minutes of relative calm followed by 5 to 10 minutes of "venting". Then the cycle restarts. My daughter drops them off on Thursday morning and picks them up Friday evening. We're always glad to see them, but my wife and I high-five each other upon their departure. :)

[momtothree]

“... other items have met their demise”

Well, the football, soccer ball, softball, basketball phase hasn’t started yet. Give it time! LOL. My oldest brother has 3 boys (two grown now). Over the years, he has replaced every window. Simple accidents, really. (not all at once either so the spacing helps your sanity). I get the whole, “I love when they get here and I love when they go home”.

[kiki04]

we follow are simple rules to going out with kids... 1. Children have a routine, stick with it even when out. If you eat dinner at 5:30 at home, eat around the same time. If you postpone dinner to 7 or later and they go to bed at 8, you will have issues.

2. Have set expectations. Starting around 2, praise them for table manners. Starting around 3 they will get it when corrected. Manners at home, for all meals. Include stay in seat, use utensils, inside voice, etc. If they do not have rules like this at home, what do you think will happen when you take them out?

3. for smaller children (3 and under) keep crackers or something in your purse. if the place is busy, this will save a lot of grief.

4. a pen or crayons and paper.

5. Before we go into a restaurant (or used to, now we don't have to do the speech) Let them know HOW you want them to behave and WHAT the consequences are if they don't. We have had to remove our kids mid meal once. If you have a set punishment and follow through, it will only happen once.

[SuziQ]

It should be the job of parents instead of restaurant making the rules. If this place can afford to lose those customers, the owner has a right to set the rules.

Yeah, it SHOULD be the parents, but too many have failed in their duties. I'm thinking after some of those outraged parents hear from others what a nice peaceful place that restaurant is to eat, now, they might think a little harder about how their kids are supposed to act, when out with the general public.

I'm also thinking that the restaurant's business will increase, simply because folks know they can eat, and enjoy a conversation, without having to deal with unruly little ones.

Our biggest complaint at restaurants these days is the volume of the music! We almost always have to ask if they can turn it down because we can hardly hear each other across the table.

[dforest]

My husband and I noticed the same. What is with the music being so loud as to give you indigestion? LOL

My son took us to some place, can’t remember the name. They specialize in all meat. A Brazilian meat place.

They bring out different meats and you are supposed to turn up little markers if you want more or a different meat.

Ugh, what a miserable meal. It was loud and I never turned over one of those markers. I don’t eat out to work.

Bring me a nice piece of good meat, my wine and salad, refresh my drinks, some soft music, and leave me alone.

Geesh.

[mad_as_he$$]

Disease exchange center.

[unkus]

Oh yeah. Pretty grubby. Those little ones keep it all going in circles.

[Mamzelle]

re: We go to restaurants a lot )))

I go seldom enough to really notice the price changes of a few months. One place that I liked because of the freshness and wholesomeness of the ingredients was Chez Panera Bread. When a half sandwich/soup coffee cost 15.00, I'm outa there. I could buy a steak dinner for two with that if I cook it myself.

Why do people insist on eating out so much? It's so high in calories, probably not prepared with standards of cleanliness that you'd like to see, and now so much more expensive!

Can't the missus cook? Watch the Food Network.

[SamAdams76]

We can both cook. I think the reason we go out so much is we both work a lot of hours and when we are home on a weeknight, it is good to go to a decent restaurant and get caught up on things. Generally on weekends, we stay home and do our own cooking. I agree it can be expensive, often we spend over a thousand dollars a month eating out.

[SuziQ]

The night we met our son's prospective In-Laws, we went to a churuscarria, and it was SO delicious!! But I do remember the music was a little loud, because we were trying to talk to the other couple, and we could hardly hear them. So we all just stuffed our faces, then went over to their house after supper to chat while we were watching the Patriots on TV. ;o) They are great folks, and became our son's parents in-law the day after Christmas, 2010. ;o)

[SoothingDave]

Nothing says “fine dining” like eating at the driving range.

[martin_fierro]

Nothing says “fine dining” like eating at the driving range.

Oh, we quite agree.

[N. Theknow]

There’s a Chucky Cheese on William Penn In Monroeville.

The only way to have a conversation at a Chucky Cheese is by sign language or lip-reading.

[kevman]

yes thank goodness wish we had a place like that here