As he explained: "This year more readers than ever before have complained to us about pub visits being spoiled for them by badly behaved children running around unchecked. This is a peculiarly British problem; in continental restaurants and cafés, it's normal to see families with children, not normal to see kids spoil things for grown-ups. So we have considerable sympathy with the landlord of one Sussex pub who told us that he had decided it 'just didn't suit children', as he didn't want to do plates of chips or burgers, and didn't want to have to look after customers' children."Technorati Tag: childfree
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In Scotland, the presence of children in pubs is growing, but from a small base. The introduction of the smoking ban has hit many pubs hard, according to the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA), and, in order to pull in more customers, an increasing number are rebranding themselves as "family-friendly" establishments. However, by August 2007, just 66 out of 731 licensed premises in Edinburgh had applied for a children's certificate. Although the figure is less than 10 per cent, it is expected to double by the time the new licensing law comes into force on 1 September, 2009.
The law concerning the admittance of persons aged under 18 into pubs is complicated. Under the licensing act of 1976, publicans are allowed to admit a person over the age of 14, as long as they are accompanied by an adult and do not consume any alcohol. However, for many years, very few pubs would allow an under-age teenager into their establishment on account of the monitoring involved to ensure they did not drink. Then in 1990, children's certificates' were introduced into law, allowing minors to enjoy pub lunches with their parents. . . .
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Pint-sized, yes, but do children and pubs mix..?
The Scotsman
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1 comment:
I think common sense has gone out the window. When my kids were toddler aged, if one of them started to misbehave and I could sense a meltdown was coming, I took my food to go and grabbed my kids and got out of Dodge so that I would not wreck the experience of other diners.
The article brings up an interesting point how the smoking bans have hit pubs and restaurants in the UK and Ireland very hard. In France, Cafe`s are closing in droves, and here in Minnesota a bunch of places have closed after the smoking ban. This means that restaurants will make a deal with the devil, so to speak, in catering to families with small children. You have to ask if for each person that might come in with kids, how many people will be turned off by the presence of kids and not come?
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