For mothers in Croyden, England, the $5 baby tax at one restaurant is an outrage. Of course, all of the reports come from consumers who tell one side of the story, but those such as new mom, Ana Sheridan have been told that they have to pay $5 just to keep babies on their laps according to self reports. I’m actually surprised that more complaints haven’t been made public about the fact that there’s an adults only restaurant at Disneyland, which seems ironic but convenient to me.
According to Sheridan, at 6 months old “I was astonished as we explained she was exclusively breastfed and would be sitting on our laps, therefore not consuming any food or occupying an extra seat. They said it was their new policy. That was all.”
Since then, the staff has apologized for “mistreatment by staff” and what some would consider bad business. Of course, it depends on who you talk to. For people who work in the restaurant business, it could be a godsend, driving away customers with babies. However, for a restaurant owner who wants consumers as long as they are willing to pay, driving away paying customers is clearly a bad thing.
The truth is that babies tend to be messy, and at 6 months, most babies have enough teeth to at least eat soft foods. For a server, busser, or other restaurant staff, it’s not always the most desirable type of table. However, business could go either way.
Obviously, when mothers read about this tax, even though it’s only $5, many will avoid this particular restaurant. However, when childless people who don’t necessarily want to dine with children read this, they might be more inclined to visit this restaurant. Others might be worried about other policies that may be implemented in the future.
It is possible that this whole thing is a misunderstanding or even that it was exaggerated. Frankly, a $5 fee, as long as it is going to the applicable restaurant staff could be a logical thing to do. If this restaurant is buffet style or offers buffets, it would also be logical to charge more if small children are eating off of parents’ plates. Based on past incidences, it is completely possible that children were not as young as parents stated, that kids were not sitting on parents’ laps, or that children were observed being fed from their parents plates.
However, so far, management has stated that the baby fee was only intended for toddlers who were actually eating restaurant’s foods. No information has been released on the types of food this particular restaurant serves. “COSMO would like to assure customers that this is an isolated incident. We will be retraining all employees at Croyden as a matter of urgency.”