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Should pubs and restaurants be kid-free zones? (The Guardian) (archive.li)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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'I don’t come here to enjoy other people’s children!' Should pubs and restaurants be kid-free zones?

Children were once banned from most British pubs. Some owners and customers miss ‘the good old days’ – but can they really turn back the clock?

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I always thought of it like this. If the main purpose of the establishment is alcohol, children shouldn’t be allowed. So bars, breweries, etc. If a restaurant also happens to have a full bar, with bar tables (different than the regular restaurant tables) then kids should be allowed in the restaurant part only.

I know no one upholds anything like that, since I see kids all over breweries and bars in restaurants but it would be nice.

Personally, I’d pay extra for a completely child free eatery though.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'd even settle for just "not demonized for not allowing children". We have had some breweries here that have attempted to and parents just screech about how they're not "family friendly". Yes, that's the point, it's not a family friendly place. It's a place for adults to come and drink, what is so bad about some of them choosing to be adult only?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yeah, people seem to have forgotten that parenthood is a sacrifice. I’m in no way saying people who have children shouldn’t be allowed in public, but there is a time and place for kids. Personally, I wouldn’t want my kids around a bunch of drunk people, if I were a parent.

What’s next strip clubs?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Exactly, I get you have kids and you have a hard time finding sitters and everything, but parents chose to have kids. It's not some great secret that parenthood takes up time and means sacrificing these things, that's why I'm choosing not to. I don't view those as excuses personally, if you are a parent then you need to find someone to watch your kids if you want a night out, that's the trade off. Not change everywhere you want to go into a "family friendly" place, or you know, go to a family friendly place.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

But then they have to deal with other people’s kids. Yuck. Who wants that?!?!? Yes, I’ve heard parents say that, when in a not kid appropriate place, with their kids.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh, shit, that's a great idea. Finding a strip club to drink in.

I wonder if there's one around here with a good lunch menu lol

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

There are a handful around here that do free lunch buffets (or at least they did before Covid).

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Pubs are not 18+ in the UK?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Depends, uk licensing laws are complex... for example a pub with an area set aside for serving a substantive meal may be permitted children in those areas only if they are eating with adults.

A restaurant with a pub/bar attached, even if completely openly attached so looks exactly the same as the pub example above, will almost certainly be permitted to serve children food without an adult present (at least legally, some may have policies against that).

And those are the easiest examples.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Restaurants would be a much more peaceful place if they were, that's for sure.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I’m in Seattle, and while pubs/bars are 21+, it’s up to breweries whether they want to allow kids.

One of my favorite local breweries recently decided to switch to all ages, and it was really disappointing. Doesn’t seem crazy to hope for a kid-free experience at a place that exists to serve beer.

I prefer to support breweries directly, but I’m not going to pay to go somewhere I need to deal with other people’s kids.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I'll never understand why people think it's a good idea to have the children gather round the table and watch pops get drunk and then drive home.