If you haven't already heard, there's been a recent outcry by many to adopt the, 'No Kids Allowed' movement. What that means is that establishments will have the ability to ban kids at given times or all-together.
The most recent restaurant to stir the controversy is, McDain's Restaurant and Golf Center in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. They recently imposed a ban on children under the age of 6, as they were disrupting other patron's meals [WSJ: Restaurant Bans Kids, Wins Fans].
But the No Kids Allowed movement isn't just about restaurants, grocery stores have begun to offer child-free shopping hours as well. This summer, Whole Foods stores in Missouri are offering a unique twist and an opportunity for parents to enjoy child-free shopping hours by dropping off their children at their Whole Foods Lifestyle Center. I decided to see if our local Whole Foods offered any such services or hours and they noted that at this time they do not.
Interested in whether or not Louisville restaurants offered any such bans, I turned to Robin Garr, one of Louisville's expert food critics and publisher of LouisvilleHotBytes, Louisville's premier source of unbiased restaurant reviews and news. I asked Robin about his thoughts on the No Kids Ban in restaurants, in addition to if he was aware of any Louisville restaurants that ban children. Below is his response:
I don't know of any Louisville restaurant that explicitly forbids children, although bars and places primarily in the business of selling alcohol may be limited by ABC rules. In general, I've found most Louisville dining rooms hospitable to children, although the obvious unwritten rules apply: People who bring youngsters in situations that seem less than appropriate, or whose kids are significantly noisy or out of control, are probably going to get a few disapproving glances. It's really all a matter of appropriateness in time and place, but I think it's a generally a judgement call rather than a firm rule.
What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comments or you can read the steady stream of comments from Wave3's Facebook poll on the issue or from the Louisville.com Facebook Page.
Is it legal? You can read more about the legalities from the Wall Street Journal's Law Blog.
Photo: Flickr/RedisGrillo
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