Restaurant charges extra £40 fee for 'poor parenting' if children don't behave

28 October 2023 , 20:38

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A restaurant in Georgia adds up to $50 (£41) extra to the bill if children are badly behaved (stock images) (Image: Getty Images/Cavan Images RF)

One restaurant has sparked controversy for charging extra for “adults unable to parent” badly behaved children.

A restaurant in Georgia adds up to $50 (£41) extra to the bill if its customers are unable to appropriately “parent” their children. Toccoa Riverside Restaurant’s longstanding practice has the internet stirred up over the fee aimed exclusively at those deemed unable to control their kids.

Explaining that the charge has been around for a long time, but is just now garnering attention, the restaurant’s owner, Tim Richter, told WSB that the charge actually began during the Covid-19 pandemic. The menu gained traction on Reddit, with the original posting going viral. However, users noted that there is no exact amount listed.

A warning is posted at the bottom of the Toccoa’s menu, which reads: “Adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent $$$.” You can find this warning along with the restaurant’s menu on their website. Richter told WSB off-camera that he never had to use his charge as a motivator for parents to control their kids. This was up until a family came in with children who he said were “running all over the restaurant.”

Lyndsey Landmann, who recently visited the restaurant, initially thought the restaurant owner was doing a bit when he made her aware of the charge. “The kids were sitting at one end of the table and they were being so good,” Landmann told Today. “I even commented halfway through the meal, ‘I can’t believe how well-behaved they are.’”

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The Florida mother was at the restaurant with her husband and four other families, there was a total of 11 children aged 3 to 8 years old. When they had finished their meal, Richter approached the party as they had made a move to leave. Landamann thought the restaurant owner would be coming over to commend her on her children’s exemplary behaviour.

The menu reads 'adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent $$$' (stock image) (Getty Images/Maskot)

However, this was not the case and Ritcher announced he would be adding $50 to each bill at the table. He cited his reasons as the children being “too loud” and that the kids were “running around outside.” Landmann said Richter was yelling and that the ordeal was “alarming.”

Landmann’s husband posted a review on Google about a week ago giving the restaurant a one-star review. On Tripadvisor, Toccoa has a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars as of Friday afternoon, despite the viral posts. On Yelp it is 3 out of 5. Google has 4.1 out of 5 stars. Richter told WSB he only gave a warning about the surcharge and never actually put the $50 on their bills.

Emilia Randall