Pennsylvania’s McDain’s Restaurant Bans Kids

MONROEVILLE, Pa. — McDain’s Restaurant, an upscale-casual restaurant in Monroeville, Pa., is banning children under six from its establishment, MSNBC reports.

While owner Mike Vuick has been given some flak for his decision, he told MSNBC customer feedback about the change is overwhelmingly positive. He added that his grievances are more about parental permissiveness than children themselves. “Parents have gradually diminished their cooperation,” he told the news outlet. “This is a three-part issue. One is the increasing number of small babies that can’t be controlled. They can’t be quiet, and, really, they can’t be expected to [be quiet].” Vuick added that young children had been showcasing “increasingly poor manners” and parents were acting like restaurant staff was being offensive for asking them to control their kids.

While some customers are taking offense, such as Stephanie Kelley who told MSNBC the policy was “ignorant,” other parents, such as Nicole Christen from CanadianMomBlogger.com, think the ban makes sense. “I have no problem with restaurants choosing to ban children under a certain age, particularly if they are aiming to create a quiet ambience,” Christen said, as reported by The Globe and Mail. “When my husband and I go out for a meal on a date night, we usually request not to be seated near any children so we can have a break from little voices.”

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