By SHAUNA ANDERSON
It started with a pretty snarky Facebook inquiry “Are you child friendly? Because it doesn’t seem like it?”
Like many Facebook conversations it escalated.
But this one ended up in a frenzy of media right around the world.
The controversy was a post by a café in Newcastle, NSW criticizing parents who let their noisy children run wild in cafes.
The owner of this particular café, Little French Cafe posted this announcement on their Facebook page in response on Monday.
“Are we child friendly? If you are looking for a cafe with a children’s menu, baby chinos, a play area, lounges for your children to jump on, vast space for your prams, an area for your children to run rampant, and annoy other customers, while you are oblivious to them — then the short answer is No, we are not child friendly. HOWEVER, if you would like to bring your children here and they are happy to sit at a table with you, while you enjoy a coffee, and are well behaved, please come in. Otherwise, there are plenty of places that are specifically designed to entertain your children.”
The Newcastle Herald picked up the story – saying that many parents had been offended feeling attacked.
The owner of Little French Café Jodie Morris’s post soon went viral – racking up hundreds of comments on social media right throughout the world.
The Independent in the UK wrote that many parents said attitudes such as these left them feeling alienated.
The US site The Inquisitr had to provide a glossary defining what a pram and a babbycino are. (“A “baby chino” is a sort-of frothy milk beverage, similar to a cappuccino but without coffee, apparently given to small children in Australia and New Zealand, and a “pram” is a stroller.”)
What shocked many was just how supportive the majority were to the café owner’s demands for parents to keep their kids under control.
“Thank god the indignant Mummy militia types have vowed to avoid this place.
I will support it even more enthusiastically now. Bravo! Go you little French cafe! We love you!
Other cafe owners take note: more kid unfriendly places urgently needed! “ Wrote one.
Another “ I for one am SICK of disrespecting kids, and even more so of their just as useless mommy brigade parents, taking over restaurants and their holier than thou attitudes”
Can understand where you’re coming from. It’s disgusting when people change babies ON TOP of a table people eat off.
There was, of course, some support for the parents.
“I do think though she is being slightly precious though. She is making a public space. Not a private home and things like food being trampled in to carpet and spilled drinks is going to happen.” said one postersaid one poster
“If they don’t want kids as customers, maybe they should own a pub rather than a cafe.”
“Yes ruining furniture is unacceptable, but so is stifling opportunities for naturally joyful, curious, playful noisy children and their parent”
After a day of media outrage over the post – and social media support The Daily Mail finally tracked down the owner and lured her into an interview where she stood by her comments.
“If they came to my house and behaved like that they wouldn’t come back so why should they come back to my cafe? “Jodie told Daily Mail Australia.
“I am a parent, I understand there’s a time and a place … And somewhere where’s there’s tables and food and hot drinks is not the place.”
Morris was forced to defend herself online as well posting a lengthy explanation of her initial post. ““I have been subjected to children emptying salt and pepper shakers into my fireplaces, parents changing nappies on my lounges, kids grinding their own food into my carpet, parents sitting babies in nappies in the middle of dining tables, kids running around the cafe like it’s a formula 1 track” she wrote.
In the end the whole storm in a coffee cup has come down squarely in favour of Morris and her café with business reportedly booming yesterday – and happily for her red couches, not a child in sight.
Top Comments
I hear the position of the owner. Indie bars in Brunswick St Fitzroy reject suits because they change the values of the place that the owners have defined and why people frequent there.
Myself with 2 young ones, I dont take them to the TAB or a noisy kids bar or hipster cafe. I choose places like Jimmi Jamz or other more relaxed venues that pitch themselves as somewhere suitable to the girls and I. There are a lot of options out there.
Previously running a company, I rejected clients that were not good for my business. I think it's covered in our rights law somehow :-)
I agree totally with the café owner. It's his café, and he has the right to turn away business if he wants to or thinks it would be detrimental to the enjoyment of other patrons ... just as Bars and Pubs turn away guests who are likely to be disruptive - that's OK. So why is it not OK to turn away a mum with a huge pram and an unruly child or two?
Sorry, but I'm over mums complete disinterest in their child's behaviour.
There is a place for Mums and children where Mums can get a coffee - it's called McDonalds and has been specifically designed for kids in mind - it even has a playground for kids ... so please go there and leave us in peace.