Restaurant bans little kids.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Dining chat: Restaurant bans little kids. What gives?

It is the third article.

[Pixilated]

Can't read it without a subscription, unfortunately.
My guess is they just had a few too many out-of-control kids and parents who weren't parenting, and finally said "That's it, we're done here."

If that's the case, I can totally sympathize. I had a day at the store last week where I was reminiscing fondly about the lockdowns ... when people left their whiny, screaming, tantrum-y offspring at home when they came to buy groceries.

[Ironclad Alibi]

A very good guess. Here is the article:

no kids policy at Rasika and Bombay Club

Aug 21, 11:01 a.m.
Hi Tom, I would LOVE to know what happened at Rasika and the Bombay Club to make them ban kids under 8 years old in such a visible way. I was looking at online menus (a hobby) and there is a pop up on their websites, as well as it being listed in many spots online. Absolutely no judgement, I love those restaurants and they can do whatever they want as far as I'm concerned. But wow, what happened that made them have to do that?!!?! Knightsbridge is a hospitality powerhouse and no way they would just ban kids with no reason....

Tom Sietsema, Food Critic

Thanks to your early submission, I was able to reach out to the owner of both restaurants, Ashok Bajaj, for comment. He sent me the following response:

"We gave extremely careful deliberation before making our decision to implement an age limit restriction of no children under 8 years old at Rasika and Rasika West End in our dining rooms. I would like you to know that it was a very difficult decision to make. We feel blessed that Rasika and Rasika West End continue to be well received by guests, and we delight in cultivating appreciation for Indian cuisine. I knew I would disappoint parents who wanted to come to the restaurant with their younger children, however, there were many incidents that happened at Rasika and Rasika West End that necessitated me making the decision for the age limit restriction in the dining rooms. (Please be aware that we accommodate families with young children on our patios or if they book private dining rooms).

A major reason for the age restriction is many parents were not controlling their children in the dining room. This results in us receiving complaints from other diners when children are noisy and not well behaved; and this behavior negatively impacts other guests’ dining experience. At Rasika West End, we had an incident where children were running around the dining room, and when we respectfully asked the parents to control their children, the father of the children wanted to have a fist fight. We have also had a few accidents when children who were running around ran into staff members (and this can be especially dangerous when staff is carrying large trays of hot food).

Also, when children are crying (which we understand is not something the parents can control), we get complaints from other diners. When the crying continues and we respectfully ask if they can take their children out for a few minutes until the crying abates, parents often get upset, and some leave without paying and/or write very negative reviews on our restaurant. Also, Rasika and Rasika West End do not have storage space for strollers (and many strollers are very large, and they cannot be left in the aisles). In addition, younger children often have dietary limitations on what they like to eat, and with the volume of orders in these restaurants, it is very difficult for the kitchen to address all these dietary accommodations; and not being able to accommodate the dietary requests has made many parents unhappy.

It is my hope that you and your readers can appreciate why the decision was made, and hopefully those who are impacted by this decision know that we are happy to accommodate those with younger children on the patio or by booking the private dining rooms."

[Arcus]

Some airlines have asked what people think about paying extra for childless flights (not all flights, just a couple throughout the day.) They were shocked at the number of people that would pay the extra fee for it.

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Some airlines have asked what people think about paying extra for childless flights (not all flights, just a couple throughout the day.) They were shocked at the number of people that would pay the extra fee for it.

I would totally pay extra for a child-free flight. I understand that often children are physically uncomfortable during a flight (ear pops, anyone??) but I still don't want to have to spent 6 or 8 or 12 hours listening to them scream.

[Pixilated]

[QUOTE=Ironclad Alibi;n2082792]A very good guess. Here is the article:

(cut article since you don't need it twice )

Well, I'm glad I guessed right ... sorta.

I've also seen stories (can't remember if it was here or NAR) about parents changing their damn kid's diaper ON THE TABLE. I wonder if he ever had to deal with that ....

And you can still bring your ankle-biters IF you sit on the patio or rent a private room. So there's your options, parents!