Hello!

We recently dined at a local restaurant as a family of four. Husband, myself, our 10 year old and our 3 month old.
Upon ordering we were informed that we would be charged $30 cover charge for our 3 month old.
When we questioned this (as clearly she cannot eat anything in the establishment) we were told that we either just pay it or we can order a kids meal for her that we (the parents) could eat.
We declined this as we clearly didn’t come to a restaurant to eat from the kids menu….
What is everyone’s thoughts on this? Is this a common practice? Do you think it’s right?


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  • What in the world?! I’ve never heard of a charge like this. I could maybe understand if no one was ordering anything and they wanted to ensure you weren’t taking up space without buying anything, but charging for a baby to just be there is weird and I would leave.


  • I’ve never heard of anything like that before!


  • Maybe put in a review about your experience.


  • I think that is appalling. I would have walked..


  • I think that it’s reasonable during this time of covid. Many businesses have closed for periods of time, and then when they have been allowed to open there has been limits imposed on how many people can even eat there at the same time, essentially the business is losing money due to reduced customers.
    If seats are limited, then it’s reasonable to charge per person essentially.


  • This would be a huge turn off for me and I just wouldn’t eat there. Completely ridiculous. It’s like paying to take your baby to an amusement park when they aren’t old enough to enjoy the rides or know what’s going on.


  • Bonbonbonnie’s answer makes sense. I personally would have ordered an extra meal from the kids menu and either divided it up between the two adults and older child, or asked to have it wrapped to take home.


  • Absolutely ridiculous,l would report them to the correct authorities.


  • I work in the restaurant industry so I can easily explain why this would have happened.
    With covid restrictions in place, restaurants are limited to how many people they can have inside at any given time, you’ve booked a table for four, but you’re only eating for two and a half, so they’re potentially losing profit by giving you the table instead of taking a booking for four adults.
    I know it seems unreasonable but please try to remember that many restaurants are barely scraping by and so many have already had to close. The restaurant I work at has had to let go of 15 staff members and and can still barely afford to keep the ones they still have. I can assure you the restaurant isn’t doing it for greed, its for survival.


  • I’ve never heard of this before and would be walking out! That’s ridiculous


  • Sounds like a rip off to me, I’ve never heard of it before but I dont eat out at restaurants.


  • I’ve never heard of this before. I would probably have simply left and gone elsewhere.


  • I’ve never heard of this before and it sounds ridiculous. I’d never go to that restaurant again. How cheeky of them!


  • Sounds to me like it isn’t a child friendly restaurant. Guess you won’t be dining there again.


  • I’m guessing that it is because of the restrictions that are in. The restaurant is probably limited to a certain amount of people – regardless of age. This sounds reasonable, however this is something that they should have told you when you booked.


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