Business is booming in restaurant with "no kids" policy

[Nye Bevan]

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (WUSA9) -- "The sushi place", a new sushi restaurant in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, made headlines a few months ago following the announcement that the restaurant would be a no-kid establishment. Now, a week following their grand opening its owners are reporting their controversial policy is a hit among locals.

Co-owner Bill Blackburn said, "We by no means hate children or think they don't belong in restaurants. They just don't belong in this particular one." The idea, he says, was born when he and his business partner realized every other restaurant along Mount Vernon Street in Del Ray was packed with children. He tells us they wanted to offer grown up customers another option free of stresses from being around children.

After a week of being opened, Blackburn said business is great and they have a packed house every night of the week proving adults did in fact want a kid-free place to dine and drink.

He added, "We have received great feedback, both on the food and the no-kids policy."

http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=262630





Even though I have kids I think this is a GREAT concept.

[we can do it]

1. I do too. I am tired of having a nice dinner ruined by loud mouthed brats and their ignorant parents

who care only about themselves.

[leftyohiolib]

42. stop eating at chuckie cheese

[we can do it]

43. Cute.

[liberal_at_heart]

2. The only places I ever had a problem with loud children are pizza places.

Every other restaurant kids behave for the most part. For some reason they think it is okay to yell and scream at the top of their lungs at pizza restaurants. They don't even make that much noise at McDonald's.

[upaloopa]

4. My post #3 is about our eating at McDonalds yesterday

[upaloopa]

3. Yesterday my wife and I were in a fast food place

and there were two couples with 2 kids at their table and another 4 at another table. One little kid would let out a very loud scream every couple of minutes and the adults just ignored it.
I don't know what the answer is but I sure could have done without that screaming kid. I know the family has a right to be there but I think they also need to consider the other people in the place. The only real choice we had was to leave.

[liberal_at_heart]

7. I can deal with one kid. It's when every kid in the restaurant is yelling that gets me.

It's like mob mentality. Because the noise level rises everyone becomes louder so they can hear each other and the noise just escalates.

[upaloopa]

13. The other kids were noisy too but we moved away from them

and that was better but the scream hurt your ears.

[Robb]

14. I was recently at a birthday party for 4-5 year-olds

Eating cake, they were at one point all sitting around a table (maybe 10 kids), yelling at each other for being too loud.

It was hilarious. They were getting louder by the moment. "You're being too loud!" "NO, YOU'RE TOO LOUD NOW!!"

...On some level, I felt the scene rather aptly illustrated the human condition.

All that said, I'm down with adults-only joints. Although I have to laugh at the notion that adults are generally better behaved....

[Arugula Latte]

16. I have kids, and I know they can be tricky to "control"

But if the parents don't even attempt to correct that kind of behavior, it pisses me off to no end. If I see you making an effort, okay, fine, I get it, kids are not always easy. But you just sit there and let your little monster-in-the-making scream, I have nothing but contempt.

[pipi_k]

30. OMG the scream...

One of my stepdaughters has a two year old girl who will occasionally let out huge ear-numbing screeches, usually during a meal.

A few weeks ago we were at another stepdaughter's house for a family dinner and the younger stepdaughter's husband wasn't there. It seems like the child doesn't act up as much when he's there, but anyway, there was so much screeching and banging (stepdaughter allowed kid to grab one of those huge metal "sporks" for serving food to bang away on her sister's hardwood dining table. Sister had to take spork away).

When Mr Pipi and I left, we both had pounding headaches. I'm starting to dread family dinners now.

OK, I realize the child is only two years old, but still, I feel it's an appropriate age to begin table manners training. But I don't even see an attempt from the parents.

I dunno...maybe it's just me, but my sisters and I were never allowed to act like nasty little savages at the table, and my own kids never did, and now my kids have passed on those values to their kids.

And it's not like Mr Pipi allowed his kids to act like savages, either when they were growing up, but something went awry along the way...

Maybe stepdaughter #2 is rebelling by proxy against her dad's rules...

[Warpy]

78. I had a friend with a kid like that

and it was a pleasure to go shopping with her on sale days. That kid would screech and crowds would part like the Red Sea.

She outgrew it, alas.

[L0oniX]

38. "consider the other people" LOL ...this is America ...we don't do that here.

[upaloopa]

56. Sometimes I let myself think that the parents feel

we are blessed to be in the room with their kid. "Oh don't you think Cody is just precious?"

[hamsterjill]

5. I like the idea.

When I go to McDonald's, I expect to have children around.

When I go to a nice restaurant, I like to have a quiet, relaxing meal without listening to children.

[sir pball]

6. 18 is interesting, assuming it isn't doing anything "adults-only"

I quite like the idea of some restaurants being free of unruly little rugrats, but I know at 14 or so I a. loved to eat sushi and b. could behave myself as well as any adults in the room. If it were me, I'd set the cutoff younger, say at the teens, but other than that it's a great idea (and not that unusual as an unspoken rule at good spots here in NYC).

[Erose999]

72. When my sister was 13 or 14, she would always stare at people at other tables when we would go out

to eat. I think an 18+ restaurant would be something that would appeal to a lot of people, especially parents who want a night away from the kids.

[JHB]

73. My guess is that it's just a convenient, debate-avoiding cutoff...

"You're 18? Legal adult? No problem, you're in. Under 18, legal minor? Sorry, against our policy. There are a number of fine establishments just on this block that may be better able to accommodate you."

[wickerwoman]

80. I doubt they're carding people anyway.

A fourteen year old who dressed and acted like an adult wouldn't be turned away.

[HappyMe]

8. Good for them.

I wish there were more places like this.

[markiv]

9. in the early 60s, you could go to restaurants without blacks, too

for customers who didnt want to be around 'those people'

[liberal_at_heart]

10. yeah, I do think it sets a bad precedent. I think people who are loud should be asked to quiet down,

and if they don't asked to leave. I think banning any group of people based on demographics is a bad idea.

[markiv]

18. a line is crossed here - age exclusion has always been based on what's appropriate

for the younger person

when you open the door excluding that the younger person isnt appropriate for the place, who else can you exclude?

nothing wrong with having a reputation for enforcing reasonable behavior, that's different

[Nye Bevan]

15. Oh please. Most ridiculous analogy ever.

The only reason not to want to be around blacks is if you are a racist. There are plenty of legitimate reasons not to want annoying kids around when enjoying a grown-up dinner.

[Egalitarian Thug]

22. +1 You are far too kind. n/t

[liberal_at_heart]

24. why not just have a behvior policy? Adults can be just as loud and obnoxious and children.

especially when you get a large group who drink with their meal. Just ask people who are loud to quiet down and if they don't ask them to leave.

[MrScorpio]

26. You and I don't agree on a lot, but you're spot on here. nt

[Nye Bevan]

29. No I'm not.

[markiv]

27. best double standard justification ever

'your bigotry is bad, but mine's different'

'not to want annoying kids around '

and some people dont want blacks around - dont you allow for a diversity of views?

[Nye Bevan]

31. If anything, you are being racist by equating blacks with loud obnoxious children (nt)

[markiv]

37. wow - just wow

you can justify anything, by calling anyone you dont agree with, a racist

[Dreamer Tatum]

48. +1 nt

[JustAnotherGen]

60. Fair point +1

And ill behaved children has no boundaries in terms of race, religion, ethnicity, etc. etc.


By the time I was five and my brother was seven - my parents could take us to a nice steak house on a Friday night and we knew how to behave.

It was non-negotiable that we would sit at the table upright, with a napkin in our laps, elbows off the table, and engage in conversation with my parents in a low level voice.

You did NOT want to spend all day Saturday in your room because you were disrespectful of other's experience the night before.

Now if we are talking Applebees or Alfonso's in Somerville NJ - all bets are off. I don't expect a quiet dining experience at all. :nonono:

[Ednahilda]

77. Good old Somerville NJ!

Spent my teen years in Hillsborough, just down the road. HHS class of '77 . . . Go Raiders!

Sounds like your parents were related to my parents - people who did not take any crap from kids. We never acted up when we were out because we were terrified of Mom and Dad when we got home.

I love the idea of an adults-only restaurant. I don't go out to eat often and it's really expensive, so I'd kinda like to enjoy the evening.
I'm not a kid-hater; kids can behave beautifully if they're expected to. It's just that their parents don't teach them when they're young and easily trained.

[JustAnotherGen]

82. My father was a

Green beret!

My was German/Irish/ French - Wooden Spoons, Guilt, and in it for longevity and distance with the first two.

I love children. I'm not going to blink an eye at Alfonsos. Love it there! Great food - it's a FAMILY restaurant. How do children LEARN how to behave at the next notch up if not there - you know?

But not when we go out to Verve on Saturday night. A five year old is fine in there IF they no how to behave. And any five year old can be taught how to behave. I've seen each of nieces and nephews both from my family and my husband's behave in top tier restaurants. As young as three years of age . . .

[Ednahilda]

84. No army people here,

just old-fashioned, order-loving, you-will-follow-the-rules-because-I-said-so German immigrants. Oma and Opa were backup forces.

Fly swatter across the back of the leg; in summer, it stings like crazy. We all knew better than to do THAT again.

[JustAnotherGen]

85. It's the German Thing

My mom's dad was real quick with the kick.

Not hard.

But grab you by the arm, and give you a tap on the ass with his foot. Normally this was when I was running around outside of their Tahoe summer home without my shoes or socks on trying to capture the baby bear. Long story - but suffice to say I survived because of those 'kicks'.

My dad's parents? Much older, much more Southern, and Grand Daddy let us get away with murder.

Grampa Von Bargerstock? Not so much!

[Warpy]

79. Yes, it's hard to play the seduction game

if you're surrounded by the screaming results.

[Hekate]

87. We're on the same menu page on this one, Nye

I raised two kids, and I taught them manners. Didn't have the money to take them to upscale eateries, but public manners are public manners.

I wouldn't have any problem with a child-free zone, or a child-free restaurant. If I'm having an adult experience, I'd like to have some peace to enjoy my meal and to converse with other adults. If I go to a family restaurant or a fast food place, I expect kids to be there -- but a change of pace is nice too.

As for cell phones -- just got back from Ashland, OR and one little restaurant had a sign advising that this is a cell-free zone and please to enjoy the respite. That also was a nice change.

[pipoman]

20. There's a load for ya..

maybe you can respond with a Hitler or 3rd Reich reference, eh? FTLOF

[Eleanors38]

54. No, no -- how 'bout a National Restaurant Association reference?

[HappyMe]

23. Oh come on.

Racism, in no way shape or form equals screaming brats.

[Whisp]

28. well of course, because we know that black people bawl their heads off

and shit their diapers when they go to restaurants. and have snot running onto the tables.

oiy.

[Nye Bevan]

35. .

[tabbycat31]

41. If you want to use the age argument

The same statement can be made about senior citizens. I know a few seniors who's behavior will give a toddler a run for his/her money.

[Nye Bevan]

47. I have to say I have never been annoyed by a senior citizen in a restaurant (nt)

[Whisp]

49. I've never come across anything like that.

That a senior acts the way I described some babies act in restaurants. Bawl, shit and snot.

Never, Ever.

[pipi_k]

70. Nor have I

Ever.

Not even my late MIL, who had a touch of dementia, ever acted that way in public.

[leftyohiolib]

46. sounds like someone is analogy impaired

[dogknob]

71. Bwahahahaha! n/t

[L0oniX]

39. OFFS

[pipi_k]

40. Totally different...

Someone who is black has always been black and will always be black. Excluding someone based on something that will never change is rotten.


A kid will eventually grow up.

Then he'll be welcomed.

[kiva]

44. And Jello has a new mango flavor that can be used in restaurants.

Which as about as much to do with the topic as your post.

Children are given special rights as children - there are special places set aside for them where adult access is restricted - schools, some parks. A toddler who pulls off his diaper in public won't be charged with public indecency (or shouldn't, at least). Children are given free or reduced admission almost everywhere. They have special menus in restaurants that adult generally can't order. Want more?

Children aren't allowed to drive. Children under a certain age will not receive the same penalty as an adult for murder (and I do not think they should). Children are regularly taken into opposite-sex bathrooms by parents without dozens of threads popping up on DU about it.

All of which says that children have their own rights and these are not the same rights as adults.

Now if only someone would open a breakfast place that doesn't allow kids.

[Aerows]

11. I'd go there

I sit in the smoking section even since I don't smoke in restaurants that have one to avoid the screaming kids contingent. I'd rather have second hand smoke than second hand screaming.

[Just Saying]

19. Wow.

That cartoon is highly offensive.

Mothers are "scheming trollops?"

Babies can be demanding but that's called survival instinct and to call an infant "selfish" is rather the pot calling the kettle black.

Wow. Just wow.

[JW2020]

21. click image info for photo

that might explain things

[Just Saying]

45. Hmmm...

I'm not seeing what you're talking about.

So your point is that men are being selfish by not wanting children in every restaurant?

We have age restrictions all over the place. My in laws place in Florida is all 55 and over. Pools set hours that are adult only.

I'm a mother and I can appreciate places that restrict children. If I want to take my kids out, I have many options and I can appreciate enjoying a meal in a place without them or anyone else's.

The responsibility for kids' behavior is with the parents but restricting children from some places (or at certain times) seems fine to me.

[markiv]

32. loved the 'innocent young father'

really, i thought immaculate conception only happened once

you learn more every day

[L0oniX]

36. It's the Onion ...LOL

[leftyohiolib]

52. yep - to the people gripping about noisy children being a pain in the ass forget that one day one of

these children will be wiping their asses when they are too old to do it themselves.

[HappyMe]

59. Nah.

Most of the snot nosed darlings will stuff the parents into a home, and expect a chunk of money when they die.

[Scout]

67. sooooo, that has what to do with being allowed to behave like brats in public?

perhaps if they behave better as children, they can get better jobs than "ass wipers" of old grumpy DUers?

[Just Saying]

17. Sometimes I don't even want to eat at a restaurant with my own kids!

They are good boys, but at 6 and 9 full of energy and they can be loud. We generally don't take them to nice restaurants. If for some reason we do, I expect them to keep their voices down and be respectful of the other guests.

I have no problem with this ban. It sounds like a great idea! There are places that it is just not appropriate for kids to be and I don't see a correlation with banning groups due to race.

[SoCalDem]

25. For us... No cell phones, no kids, and no sushi would be a dream come true

or even a no-kids, no-phones NIGHT, would be a night we would choose

[L0oniX]

33. We just walked out after having a screamer set down in a booth next to us yesterday.

As we are leaving the host says "this is a family restaurant". I said "well thanks for warning us". They have 4 sections and they could designate one for families with screaming kids. Who wants to pay $50 for a good meal and have that shit going on? I guess we will have to go to $100 places to get away from this crap.

[we can do it]

50. That doesn't even work. The insensitive idiots show up everywhere.

Have you ever been at a bar and have a couple bring in kids in their car seat and plop them on the bar? Then get pissed when the bartender tells them it's not allowed?

[geek tragedy]

34. I bet a lot of parents go there for date night. nt

[Aerows]

58. Got that right

When you want a nice meal with your spouse that isn't interrupted with OTHER people's screaming children (much less your own since you paid for the babysitter) it seems like a damned good idea.

[markiv]

51. now, a no cell phone rule would be GREAT! nt

[JustAnotherGen]

61. +1

And I always feel bad for the couple that sit with their noses in their phones. Divorce city coming your way.

[leftyohiolib]

53. cool a whole thread of adults whining about whiny kids - delicious irony

[Aerows]

57. Because the whiny adults are paying customers

the whiny kids are irritating and drive customers away because the adults that are parents aren't acting like parents and letting them roam around like wildlings.

[pipi_k]

69. I think most of us

aren't bothered by a whiny kid or two.

I think most of us are bothered by kids who scream bloody murder, throw food, and run around loose in the restaurant.

Without so much as a word from the parents.

There's a big difference.

[Aerows]

55. When I'm paying to eat steak

or seafood, I'd rather not have your "bundle of joy" running around the restaurant screaming, and yes, that has happened before.

[PDJane]

62. Sorry, but there is absolutely no reason for anyone to tolerate screaming.

I didn't, I don't, and I won't. If there is no-one bleeding, no screaming allowed. Yelling, yes, but screaming? No.

[Amaya]

63. ahhhh... self importance syndrome alive and well

[pipoman]

64. I like their approach to publicity..this story was out prior to the opening..

no wonder the place is full with free publicity like that..I wish I had thought of it first..

That said, the restaurant I manage is a family restaurant without alcohol so I want young families to come in..it is family friendly medium to upscale dining and I have almost no problem with kids...on the few occasions I have simply told the parents 'it's getting a little loud here', or some such and that is usually the end of it. If the restaurant is good with eliminating a portion of their clientele, I see nothing wrong with the policy..

[Nay]

65. I know I sound like an old fart when I say it, but kids acting up in restaurants used to be

a VERY rare problem because 1) parents of a misbehaving child immediately removed the child because they were embarrassed by its behavior, or 2) restaurant staff immediately stepped in to remove ANY disruptive patron, adult or child, who was disturbing the peace in any way.

Now, even if you go to the manager, most are too scared to make a scene or not be 'customer-friendly.' And you certainly can't expect many of the yahoos alive today to give a hoot about their fellow citizens, because IT'S ALL ABOUT ME, AND THE HELL WITH YOU. And they wonder why I'm a hermit.....

[Skittles]

88. I agree

there were certainly whiny, misbehaving kids "back in the day" but they were dealt with differently

[FarCenter]

66. Really, how many kids want to go to a sushi restaurant?

[one_voice]

68. I'm not against adults only..

restaurants, I have kids (grown now) that I used to take with me, I never let them misbehave. Sometimes I wanna ask the parents if they're gonna do anything about their children screaming.

But I also want to say those adults, the ones that are on their friggin' phones talking so loudly so everyone can hear them, who's gonna tell them to shut the hell up. They ruin my meal too. And there are often more than one of them doing at one time too.

Let's be fair, adults 'misbehave' too.

[MattBaggins]

74. So what if you walk in with a child and just claim they are 18?

I notice the sign says "please".

[pipi_k]

75. What I'm thinking is...

that maybe the age was set at 18 but isn't a rigid requirement.

IOW, if a kid comes in who's only 16, the restaurant might look the other way, whereas if the age were lowered to 10, people might try to get 8 year olds in (I have a great-nephew who acted like a little monster in a restaurant and his mom, my niece, didn't say a word to him. Mr Pipi and I had to tell him to simmer down).

I would be pretty sure they're not checking IDs at the door to that sushi place

[graham4anything]

76. I won't go there. ...because

My wife and I taught my kids from day one how to behave the correct way in a restaurant, and at family parties,
when all the relatives kids were acting like jerks, mine weren't.

NO, you don't need to open every sugar and pour it in a glass and think its a science project volcano.

And it benefits the kids, because they got to be taken everywhere, including movies, concerts, and to all sort of great meals
which they truly enjoyed.

And kids who aren't taught right, age doesn't matter. When one reaches 17 or 27 and has bad manners, it is because they never
learned.

Sorry, but this restaurant would instantly lose my business. More important, my c/c is good, and they would lose my money.

(and we have taken my kids to the snobbiest of restaurants in France and were complemented afterward on how well behaved they were.)

Now, how about adults in movie theatres and adults with cell phones texting in movie theatres? (where the blue is readily seen at all times throughout the show).

[Gormy Cuss]

81. I don't have kids and wouldn't patronize a restaurant with this policy.

18? Really? I could understand age 5, since it's rare that a child younger than that has the developmental level.

Frankly, I'd rather go to a restaurant with a ban on loud, obnoxious behavior.

[Dwayne Hicks]

83. n/t

This is pure discrimination. No restaurant has any right to do such a thing.

[Sirveri]

86. That's not actually true. Case in point, bars.

Plenty of places either exclude or give preferential treatment to children.

[Heywood J]

89. Booze, smokes, and cars for everyone! (NT)