Why do you need restaurants to be 'family friendly'?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m with you, OP. I drove my newborn straight from the delivery room to Ruth’s Chris.

For New Year's Eve, right?? (C'mon, who has been here a long time!!??)

[Anonymous]

I always defined it as…

Has high chairs = kid tolerant
Has a kids menu = kid friendly
Has none of that = adults only preferred

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't need all restaurants to be family friendly, but when dining out with kids ages 2 to 6 or 7, there are certain things that make the experience more enjoyable for everyone (including waitstaff and other patrons). This includes:

- reasonably quick service, including bringing appetizers promptly or even bringing out kids meals early if possible, but also having a way for people to pay and leave swiftly after they finish eating (like QR payment, running cards at the table, or simply ensuring staff aren't so overbooked with tables that they can't pick up the check quickly)

- standard kid accommodations, like booster seats and high chairs, a menu that has items the average kid can and will eat (some kids are more adventurous, others are not, even an adventurous 3 yr old isn't eating a bone in ribeye on their own), bathrooms that will accommodate a family (stalls big enough for a parent to join their kid if necessary, changing table, etc.).

- staff are not openly hostile towards families, this is a culture thing, some restaurants would prefer you not bring kids, which is fine, but a "family friendly" restaurant will hire and train staff to be welcoming to kids and families

Some restaurants do this stuff, others don't. I'm not looking for chicken nuggets and a ball pit, but there are things that make taking kids out to eat a lot easier and more pleasant. I've been to restaurants where we had a lovely meal but my kids are getting antsy because we've passed the hour mark and the waiter is MIA and we are ready to go but need to pay, or where the bathroom is lovely but I had to change a diaper on the floor because there was nowhere else to do it.

This is what I want too! My kids aren’t picky eaters and are reasonably well behaved by I find the experience less stressful if there are tools in place to manage their behavior if they’re hangry or bored. Also nothing too pricy when I can’t predict how much will actually get eaten. 😂

[Anonymous]

To me it means kids menu. That doesn’t have to equal chicken nuggets, but having more simply prepared items and in smaller portions at a lesser cost.

I don’t mind paying more for quality food I know my child will eat and enjoy. But it is super frustrating to order and expensive meal for your child to have it arrive and they don’t like it/won’t eat it.

[Anonymous]

OP just wants to humble brag. Nothing to see here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP just wants to humble brag. Nothing to see here.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m with you, OP. I drove my newborn straight from the delivery room to Ruth’s Chris.

Ruth’s Chris is not high end. It’s like, steak Applebees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family friendly to me just means no one will be annoyed about your kids' presence. I don't want any funny looks. My kids are well-behaved, don't watch tablets but they are mac-and-cheese or plain hamburger kids (sadly) so I need something for them to eat.
We took them to a mom and pop bar and grill within walking distance of our house at 4:30 PM and some jerk confronted us about bringing our kids to a bar where adults are trying to have a good time. The sun was still up!

You had a baby... in a bar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Family friendly to me just means no one will be annoyed about your kids' presence. I don't want any funny looks. My kids are well-behaved, don't watch tablets but they are mac-and-cheese or plain hamburger kids (sadly) so I need something for them to eat.
We took them to a mom and pop bar and grill within walking distance of our house at 4:30 PM and some jerk confronted us about bringing our kids to a bar where adults are trying to have a good time. The sun was still up!

You had a baby... in a bar?

NP. Bar babies are the best kind of babies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Family friendly to me just means no one will be annoyed about your kids' presence. I don't want any funny looks. My kids are well-behaved, don't watch tablets but they are mac-and-cheese or plain hamburger kids (sadly) so I need something for them to eat.
We took them to a mom and pop bar and grill within walking distance of our house at 4:30 PM and some jerk confronted us about bringing our kids to a bar where adults are trying to have a good time. The sun was still up!

You had a baby... in a bar?

PP didn’t say her kids were babies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Family friendly to me just means no one will be annoyed about your kids' presence. I don't want any funny looks. My kids are well-behaved, don't watch tablets but they are mac-and-cheese or plain hamburger kids (sadly) so I need something for them to eat.
We took them to a mom and pop bar and grill within walking distance of our house at 4:30 PM and some jerk confronted us about bringing our kids to a bar where adults are trying to have a good time. The sun was still up!

You had a baby... in a bar?

I take it you two PP don't know this quote reference from Sweet Home Alabama.

[Anonymous]

A kids menu and high chairs. It doesn’t need to be all chicken nuggets and hot dogs either, just a smaller portion. I don’t need to buy my 3yo a $20 salmon dinner for him to eat a 1/4 of it because our portion sizes are huge.

We also will get a spare plate and he eats our food sometimes, and we have a hook on travel chair. I’m just saying what I would understand family friendly to mean.

[Anonymous]

I don't need a restaurant to be anything other than welcoming/tolerant to kids. I don't take my kids to every restaurant, there's a time and place, but to me "family friendly" is an attitude, not about chicken tenders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't. I'm a foodie and am raising my kids to be foodies also. They're not chicken nugget type of kids.

I do not want my kids to me “foodies”

+1 rather a "chicken nugget type of kid" then someone who unironically would post something like what the pp did...

[Anonymous]

It means please be ok that our out of control kids WILL mess up the floor, tables, chairs and will behave obnoxiously. And please tell your customers that they need to accept it.