A restaurant is asking its patrons to leave the kids at home before coming to enjoy a meal at their establishment. Some cheered the move, while others were not happy. NBC New York’s Checkey Beckford reports.
This is a decision that is sure to stir up some controversy.
A popular restaurant in New Jersey has implemented a new rule: No kids are allowed. And the policy shift has gotten people fired up, on both sides of the debate.
Nettie's House of Spaghetti is in hot water with some of its customers after posting on its social media pages that children under the age of 10 would no longer be permitted to dine at the Tinton Falls restaurant.
Nettie’s did not respond to a request for comment, but they explained on their social media posts that they "love kids" but there were reasons behind their decision — related to customer experience or even liability concerns.
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"Lately, it’s been extremely challenging to accommodate children at Nettie’s. Between noise levels, lack of space for high chairs, cleaning up crazy messes, and the liability of kids running around the restaurant, we have decided that it’s time to take control of the situation," the post from the restaurant reads, adding that "recent events have pushed" them to make the call.
"We know that this is going to make some of you very upset, especially those of you with very well-behaved kids, but we believe this is the right decision for our business moving forward," the restaurant stated, thanking customers for their understanding.
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Some did indeed understand the decision, saying they "support [them] 100%. Good food deserves a good atmosphere." Others were not quite on board. One commenter said it was "really sad to hear" such a rule be implemented.
Those who were outside the fine dining eatery — which was once ranked among New Jersey’s best restaurants — said they agree with the move.
"People don’t care what their kids do so they just let them run around," said one patron. "I guess they don't want to pay for a babysitter so they just bring them with them."
Another man said that the children can sometimes be "disruptive" to the meal.
Down the road, kids could be found everywhere in the more casual Attilio’s Pizza Restaurant.
Customer Lionel Eugene, said the new rule "would definitely challenge me and I might not go if I know my kids are not allowed there."
Manager Paolo Palumbo has been at Attilio’s for more than 30 years and says he simply can’t imagine a restaurant without kids.
"I would love to see people come in with family, with the kids and enjoy," he said.
Some say the move by Nettie's now offers diners more options: kid-friendly and kid-free. The new policy takes effect on March 8th, when the restaurant reopens after winter break.
