A Canadian restaurant has sparked a debate after announcing it would ban children under the age of 15. Miss Christine's Kitchen, a Jamaican restaurant set to open its new Winnipeg location on November 30, calls itself “the place to be for people with good taste.”
Ahead of the opening, the eponymous chef and owner, Christine Pattison, announced the restriction on social media. “At Miss Christine's Kitchen, we strive to create a warm, cosy and relaxing atmosphere where our guests can enjoy great food, good company and memorable dining experiences,” she wrote on Facebook.
The owner continued, “We provide a comfortable, intimate setting for adults to get away, unwind and enjoy quality time — whether it's a romantic evening, a special meeting or simply a chance to relax and recharge. To maintain the intimate setting of our restaurant, our dining room welcomes guests ages 15 and older. We kindly ask that you respect our dining policy as we work to provide every guest with a true Miss Christine's Dining Experience.”
Take a look at the post:
Many users applauded her choice. “As a father of three kids under 8 years old, I fully support this. Not everywhere needs to accommodate kids,” one parent commented.
“I'll gladly leave my kids home to eat in an adult-only restaurant,” another shared.
“As someone who is child-free, there should actually be more restaurants that implement this,” someone else agreed.
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Some users also questioned the owner's decision, but Pattison deleted the original negative comments from her post. In an interview with CTV News, some customers who were unhappy with the ban shared their grievances.
“If it's a restaurant, there should be no age limit. It's not like it's a bar where you're serving drinks. I think parents should have the right to take their children to a restaurant,” one of them said.
“We live in a world right now that is excluding enough people. And by excluding youngsters from going to restaurants with their families and friends, I think our world needs more inclusion instead of exclusion,” another added.
According to the owner, many went as far as to post fraudulent negative reviews, giving a single star to the restaurant. Pattison posted these negative reviews on the restaurant's Facebook page and lobbied to have them removed from their respective review platforms.
Talking about her decision to ban kids under 15, Pattison explained that parents work hard to earn money to support their families, and they should get time for themselves to relax and unwind without having to worry about their kids.
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