Children not welcome!

It seems these days that if you dare to say anything against children you are considered a monster! I like children but if I want a quiet cup of coffee or meal I don't want to have to deal with someone's child being noisy, having a tantrum or running around getting under the waiter/waitresses feet. I think a place which caters for older children and adults would do very well in a lot of towns.

We have lots of hotels, cafes etc that describe themselves as 'child friendly'. I see no reason why we shouldn't have others that describe themselves as 'child unfriendly'.

I can remember booking a meal in a restaurant that didn't say it was child unfriendly, but when we got there they had no high chairs because they did not cater for children (no children's menu). I didn't object in principle, but I had rather we had been asked when we booked a table for 6 whether it included children, or better still like this cafe in Devon announce the owner was open about his policy of 'no children under 12'. We had a good, but uncomfortable meal with a toddler having to sit on his mother's lap because they didn't even have cushions to raise the height of the seat of a dining chair

My comment was echoing Anya?

Mine too, but sadly am nowhere near Brixham ( nice place to go for a visit.)

I have had too many meals spoilt by children racing round not to agree with him. One recently in a Beefeater attached to a Premier Inn where we were meeting up with friends who were staying there. However the worst to stay in my mind was in a lovely pub in Devon. We had gone to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary and had chosen carefully.
A young couple came in with a baby in a car seat. The baby screamed non stop. From the sound I could tell it was very young.
I spoke to the waitress as it was awful. She said the baby was 5 days old and the husband had just picked them up from hospital and they had taken the opportunity to have a meal.
It certainly ruined our celebration.

Sounds like my kind of place.

He would certainly be welcomed here as there are far to many parents who come into cafes/restaurants and forget they have children with them and leave them to their own divices,I can go into my own garden with my DGCs and listen to them for no charge so why would I want my peaceful time disruppted by children running about all over the show.

If he were in my town I'd be a regular!!! A child free zone can be really welcoming for some of us. I love my GC but I don't like other children much unless they're well behaved and after having my legs bashed yesterday by a toddler with a push along toy whose parents just said 'don't do that' and a 'sorry' to me the first time and repeated it when said bxxt did it again [we were waiting for a lift] I'd have been in that cafe like a shot! I walk with a stick too!!!

#catamongthepigeons I would support the boycott - that would mean that not only children, but disruptive types wouldn't go there either. More space and peace for those who agree with the owner. It looks beautiful.

I think you all live on a different planet to me I don't think there are swathes of children who are badly behaved I think there is a small minority that run riot but hasn't that always been so , a little girl about 5 comes into the shop I volunteer in she has an awful sounding mother who swears and using very loud aggressive language but the little girl always gives me a cuddle and says please and thank you very nicely
I can quite understand there could be some people who would like and use this cafe I just think the place is poorer when kids are excluded

I eat out and coffee out a fair bit so I m not away from kids and cafes but they don't bother me they make my life more interesting but then I am a people watcher so I like to watch interaction, even 'naughty' ones My life is quiet enough at home

sounds nice and peaceful to me. Agree about the parents ignoring bad behaviour which affects others. I was talking on ce to a young mum about how my heart sinks if a small child is seated behind me on a plane, because their continually kicking the back of my seat annoys. She said pity the poor parent.!! Hm! Actually no, i feel rather more sorry for myself.

I support this cafe owner absolutely. There are plenty of places where children can go, so why not have somewhere without them. I love children, but sometimes today's lot seem rather unruly and undisciplined. And some parents don't seem to care.
I'm not too far from Brixham and shall definitely go to that cafe when next there.

Well, it looks like a lovely and unusual room, and I for one would like to enjoy that sort of ambience in peace. I fully support his stance. There are other coffee shops.

I don't believe in excluding children but so many of them are badly behaved in public and their parents seem oblivious to it. It would be a delight to sit in lovely surroundings - the shop is obviously a labour of love and very unusual - and boisterous and noisy children and buggies blocking the aisles would spoil that experience.

Some adults can be pretty badly behaved too. Just look at the number of adults who get drunk on planes, at football matches, in pubs and restaurants, etc., and cause mayhem

Surely, if children are running around, touching things they shouldn't or being excessively noisy, their parents should be asked to control them if they wish to stay but I don't see why all children should be banished.

I get the point that there are plenty of establishments that welcome children (and I agree there are too many parents who let their children run riot). However, I don't really like the idea of a blanket ban on people on the grounds of their age.

I have heard similar sentiments expressed by working people complaining about retired people making a nuisance of themselves by going to the bank, shops, post office, etc. etc. during the "lunch hour" when they should apparently make themselves scarce.

It's really hard for an aging single lady to get a seat in a coffee shop around here because they are full of yummy mummies and their children. So I'd welcome somewhere geared to adults!

It wouldn`t bother me. As has been said, these days so few parents keep their children in check when in public places. Having said that, many years ago we were in Salcombe with our 5 children, aged from 12 down to 5, and my husband was looking for something, can`t remember what now, but he took us all into a ships chandlers shop. The kids were all behaving, they were brought up to do so, but within a couple of minutes a very snooty sales lady came up and asked if we could take the children outside. My husband said "It`s alright, we`ll all go," and on the way out said loudly, "We might have spent a good bit in here."

I read recently of a restaurant in Italy where the owner said he was so fed up with "riotous children and parents who refused to keep them in check" that he introduced a 5% discount for parents who promoted good behaviour and table manners. In six months he had only given the discount three times!

I for one would love to go there and have my coffee in a peaceful and gracious environment. Too often there is so much noise in coffee shops and parents allow their little darlings to do just as they please. OK! I know I sound like a grumpy old woman, but I've had my fair share of unrestrained children in places, and support the idea of this shop owner in standing up for the right to run his coffee shop as young-child free zone.

I don't object to children. I object to parents who assume that you find their children as endearing as they do. I'm all for a quick little chat with other peoples children, but I don't want to spend the whole time I'm in a cafe having a conversation with them.

May be a market for it? If there is I see no harm, after all there are plenty of places encouraging children and it gives choice. I could imagine times I would choose a child free place for a chat with a friend and a child friendly place at other times

Now that I have thought about it a bit, and read your answers, i realise it doesn't really bother me. I have a ten year old, so would not go to this cafe, unless DH and I were having a bit of time to ourselves, and DD was staying with her granny.
It seems to me that there are plenty of places where children are welcome and plenty of places which cater primarily to families with young children (think soft play places, or McDonalds), why not have places which cater exclusively to adults?

Well he's obviously not very clued up as to how much yummy mummys will spend on lattes and food and drink for their children! It doesn't make good business sense, unless of course Brixham is full of elderly folk?

I m the opposite I have never felt uncomfortable with kids in a restaurant or cafe I think they are all part of our society which should be inclusive ....personally I wouldn't want to go into a cafe that felt the necessity to exclude our future generation They re all so interesting whether there behaving well or not I get plenty of peace and quiet in my home I like a bit of liveliness when I m out
Read at home... watch, listen and enjoy when you're out and about but that's only my opinion and doesn't necessarily match others

I'd be in there like a shot..

Iagree personally, I like to read while having copy and it can be really annoying having children around (fine if their parents have them 'in control' but sadly they're so often allowed to run riot..(ducks))