Diners eat at Grace Restaurant, housed in a church built in the 1850's, in Portland, Maine
Diners eat at Grace Restaurant, housed in a church built in the 1850's, in Portland, Maine Reuters/Brian Snyder

Families and parents are getting concerned about eating establishments that prohibit children from staying. Although some might think of the approach as a bad business idea, but there are others that shared why they would rather lose some customers in the process.

A number of restaurants that banned children shared their reasons.

1. Kids ruin the atmosphere

Some restaurants started to ban children so as not to disturb other customers. In a report by the LA Times, one restaurant owner shared that children running around, screaming and crying are a distraction to other loyal clients. As a result, they lose more tables after unsatisfied customers that walked out.

2. They distract the kitchen

There are a lot of cases where children loiter in areas of the restaurant where they are not supposed to be, such as the kitchen, bathroom and bar. Chefs and assistants find them a nuisance and an interference to their duties. The quality of the food may be compromised.

3. Parents ignore their children

According to Fox News, some restaurants set rules instead of banning children altogether such as requiring parents to watch over their children or bringing a child seat with them if the establishment does not provide any. However, many parents ignore the rules and let their children do anything they please.

4. Kids break things

On several occasions, children had destroyed furniture, equipment and other items that are not easily replaceable. Although their parents may pay for the cost of the ruined item, it will cost more time, effort and money to get certain objects back. Others are even one-of-a-kind so it can put a lot of stress and result to losses for the business owner.

5. They have a different target market

Some restaurants, especially fine-dining places, cater towards couples and families with no or grown-up children. Having small kids around can change the environment and mood of the place. Some restaurateurs prefer to maintain a formal atmosphere to suit their loyal and preferred patrons.

Although, many parents and families protested to such prohibitions and citing discrimination, restaurant owners may have some good points in the ongoing debate.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.