Monterey Restaurant Owner Bans Noisy Children

Jan 02, 2020 by apost team

Imagine that you're settling in for a relaxing meal with a date, a friend, or a family member. You had just finished a difficult day or perhaps a trying week or month and just want to focus on your food and on those you're sharing that meal with. Suddenly, a baby starts shrieking, abruptly taking you out of the peaceful frame of mind that you were in, and now all of your thoughts are on that baby. One California restaurant has devoted itself to ensuring that you'll never experience anything like that there by banning noisy children.

Old Fisherman's Grotto, which is situated on the waterfront in Monterey, Calif., a city of 30,000 that's located 70 miles south of San Jose, has posted signs that have left no doubt on owner Chris Shake's child-related policies. Specifically, they state that no booster chairs, high chairs or strollers are allowed, a statement that ensures fewer children on its own. However, they go on to state that "children crying or making loud noises ... are not allowed in the dining room" because of how distracting they tend to be, according to the restaurant's website.

It should be added that Shake does say that he has nothing against children. They just need to not be a distraction to other diners. Many children who have been quiet have enjoyed meals at this restaurant, KTVU reports.

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These moves found their roots in 2009 when Old Fisherman's Grotto started enforcing one that did not allow strollers, as the restaurant's children's policy states. This was done to help servers more easily move around although it did have a side benefit for those wanting quieter experiences of keeping the babies that would have been in those strollers away as well. However, the rule specifically banning loud children is much more recent.

Shake's focus in making these rules and how he runs his place is with diners' comfort in mind, more specifically the majority of diners, the ones who are quiet and who prefer quiet environments. He also said that most of the negative reviews that his place has received were written by people who had never even eaten there, adding that this move has been good for Old Fisherman's Grotto from a financial perspective as well. And many commenters have talked about how nice it was to have a meal out with no screaming children around, KTVU continues.

How do you usually react when noisy children interrupt a meal? Do you tend to say something to the parents, say something to your server or the restaurant's management, or simply endure the experience? Do you return there? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.