NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

By Michael Inbar
TODAYshow.com contributor
updated 35 minutes ago


On an airplane, in a movie theater or in a restaurant, the shrill sound of a childish voice raised in distress can resemble nails across a blackboard — especially when it’s not your child. Now one North Carolina eatery has drawn a line in the sand by posting signs prohibiting childrens’ uproar.

“Screaming Children will NOT be tolerated!” say placards posted at the Olde Salty restaurant in Carolina Beach. N.C. And while the signs may seem to be telling some parents their patronage is unwelcome, restaurant owner Brenda Armes said it’s actually been a business boon.


The Olde Salty restaurant in North Carolina has stirred passions with this message to patrons who are parents.
“It has been a good thing for us,” Armes told NBC affiliate WECT. “It has brought in more customers than it has ever kept away.”

Indeed, a first-time diner at the Olde Salty told WECT he embraced the signage. “It’s not very enjoyable when you hear a bunch of kids screaming,” Gary Gibson said. “It’s nice to see a sign like that up.”

Against the law?

But not all agree: In fact, one local woman told the station she believes the sign is downright illegal. Kelly Chambliss, the mother of an autistic child, accused Armes of discriminating against special-needs children.

“I think she needs to meet some of these kids, and I think she needs to see that they are awesome,” Chambliss told WECT. “Please don’t shut them out because they don’t fit in the perfect box everyone wants them in.”

Armes said she told Chambliss: “Autism is not a word on that sign, ma’am.” And her restaurant doesn’t kick diners with loud children to the curb, she added. Instead, they are asked to take the offending child outside until they pipe down.

Still, Chambliss, who said she believes the sign violates the American with Disabilities Act, contends the restaurant’s owner basically said her autistic child was not welcome there.

“She looked at me and said, ‘I cannot believe you even take him in public. You must be the only one,’ ” Chambliss told WECT.

Yet within days of WECT highlighting the Olde Salty signage, dozens of messages sprouted up on the Web debating the issue. One, Dubois, Pa., woman said she, too, has an autistic child, but wouldn’t expect diners to tolerate the occasional volume.

“I hate hearing her shrieking, so there’s no way I’m going to expect someone else to put up with it; I don’t really see a problem here,” the poster wrote. “If you can’t keep yourself or your kid under control, then it’s time to go back to the zoo.”

A Bowling Green, Ky., woman described the pain childless couples face when around loud children. “Our threshold for yelling, running around, etc., is very low. If I wanted to be around crazy kids, I’d eat at Chuck E. Cheese.”
More from TODAYshow.com

Restaurant to parents: No screaming kids allowed

The owner of the Olde Salty restaurant in Carolina Beach, N.C., has posted signs that say: “Screaming children will NOT be tolerated!” She says business has improved, but some parents — including the mother of an autistic child — think the policy is unfair.

But an Annapolis, Md., dad suggested the signs might not go far enough — they could include adults, too. The man said when his child began chattering loudly at a local restaurant recently, he asked his son to use his “inside voice.”
“[But] my wife said that in retrospect, he wasn’t all that loud – not compared to the person in the bar area in the next room who was laughing like a hyena,” the Maryland dad added. “THAT turned heads. Our son, not so much.”

As for Olde Salty owner Armes, she told WECT she’s only trying to create an atmosphere conducive to a great dining experience. “We want to attract the type of people that come in knowing they aren’t going to have to sit behind a table with a bunch of screaming children,” she said.

Besides, Armes may actually have a gentle touch compared to other restaurants. At the popular Pensacola Beach, Fla., restaurant Peg Leg Pete’s Seafood, a more forbidding (albeit misspelled) sign is posted outside:
“Unruley children will be cooked and eaten.”source

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

My only thought is it is their perogative to ban children from their restaurant. It's also their right to ask people with screaming children to leave.

Personally, screaming children don't really bother me (unless they are my own, in which case I'm horrified). DH & I were out to dinner at a nicer restaurant & there was a teether, who was having a horrible time. The parents did all they could, bringing him outside repeatedly. It brought back memories of when my kids were little & wondering if my husband & I would ever eat dinner together again. The mom kept apologizing. I told her "We've all been there if not as a parent, then as a child."

I would hope that parents would take care of the child themselves but we know that it's not always the case. I do think it doesn't need to be spelled out(even correctly ). I find the sign a little presumptous & if I were out with my kids, I wouldn't consider dining there.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

Have zero problem with it.

Find it sad that parents even need to be told to take care of their screaming children versus letting them run around wild.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

i just will never understand how people have become so intolerant of one another.

That one persons dining experience is more important than someone else's with children is. Children make noise, they always have. I dont get it. I think people need to get over themselves.

I dont know, kids will be kids, and their noise level does not bother me. I am not that uptight, to care what noise is coming out of a small child.

I would also bet that MOST parents do not need to be told to take care of their screaming child or take them outside for a moment.

Message edited 9/9/2010 11:23:14 AM.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

I don't necessarily have a problem with it, but as a parent I would probably only go there if I was not bringing my child along. I would rather know in advance that they will ask me to leave than be surprised.

I guess my question is how do they enforce it? If a child gets excited and talks loudly, is that considered screaming? If a child yells out once briefly, are they asked to leave? It sort of a gray area sometimes.

As someone who rarely goes out for a child free evening, I might actually seek out a place like this. If I am dropping a lot of cash on a nice dinner out, I appreciate not hearing kids yelling and carrying on. I can stay home and hear that.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

I dont see an issue with it.

Like they said its not banning kids but saying they want them to go outside and cool down.

AJ screamed a few times while eating out and she gets time out to calm down. I don't like it. I don't keep her along for the ride, she's my child and she needs constant guidance and that especially includes how to behave in public. You wanna scream, go wild and toss toys? Well I got a whole house for just that purpose. Heck even the car is her domain but public is a no-no.

Kids *WILL* get cranky and cry, scream or throw a fit. It happens. But its how the parents react that makes a difference. I've seen couples just ignore their screaming child because they were having a conversation and you could see they just figured the kid was strapped in so that's 'good enough'. Nevermind that the high pitched wailing made eating our meal impossible. Its those kind of parents that bother me.

I'll even go so far as to say there are some places I wish kids WERE banned - along with cell phones! haha Sometimes I want a nice evening out with my hubby. One without crying, yelling or cell phone ringtones. Just a nice quiet candleilt dinner. One I'd be willing to literally $$pay$$ for.

And I TOTALLY agree that some adults are even louder than the kids!

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

i have no problem with it. There are restaurants that require a shirt and tie or no flip flops. i figure this is the same way.

Personally i dont mind screaming kids in restaurants but i also would not bring my screaming kid into any restaurant.

My girls are very good in restaurants but do have their moments, but i wouldnt expect to bring them into an upscale restaurant and not take them outside if it was one of their moments. :)

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

I think the bigggest problem is people bringing their kids places with nothing to distract them. You cannot expect a toddler to entertain themselves for 1-2 hours while sitting in a high chair. If you do not have the sort of child who can be distracted I would go to family friendly places(Fridays, Chili's etc.) I have no problem with the sign.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

I couldn't care less about a sign like that, it's not like they banned all kids. And if you don't like it, just don't eat there. It's as simple as that IMO. There are plenty of other restaurants to go to... 99.9% of restaurants do not have a sign like that.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

I don't have a problem with it, and I have 2 fiesty toddlers! They aren't being banned, they are being asked to bring the child outside until they are calmed down. I think it's a great idea, actually. To be honest, I think it's a shame that people need to be TOLD to do this, and this not only goes for restaurants, but also in church, at the movies, etc. If my child was acting up, I'd remove him from the situation so he is not bothering everyone else.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

Fine with me - I just wouldn't go there. DS is 11 months, sometimes he's loud.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

I think it awesome. I think more place will follow suit. Why should others suffer thriugh their meal while yiur kids scream. I hate that when we go out. If its my kid i take him out until he calms down. All kids are going to scream but i dont want to hear it while I eat.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

Is this going to be the new trend now?

whatever.

I would like to think most people take their screaming child out of a restaurant. The sign is unnecessary IMO. I agree with what the man said in the article. . .about telling the guy whose laughed sounded like hyena to shut up as well haha

Kids are loud
People are loud
Drunks are obnoxious
etc. . . .

There is an entire list that could go on the front door of every restaurant but lets single out the kids & the horrible parents that can't control them ::insert sarcasm::

Message edited 9/9/2010 12:08:46 PM.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

I think it is silly that she has to make a sign for this. IMO, if I child is "screaming" a mother will usually bring the child outside to calm down. If she doesn't, the restaurant owner should just address the particular incident if/when it occurs. , if a child is screaming and disturbing whole atmosphere she can ask the mom if there is anything she can do..suggest stepping outside a moment etc. Putting a sign up is just silly bc as a mom a child can be happy go lucky at one moment and screaming the next. THey are so unpredictable and I think it just needs to be dealt with as it happens rather then put a "warning" sign up.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

I think the problem with it is where do you draw the line?
Does a screaming child only mean a kid who is freaking out, crying, etc?
Or does it also mean excited children who are talking loudly and shrieking in delight? My kids tend to get very loud and could be considered screaming when they are excited.
I don't mind it in theory, but I think it treads a fine line.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

The sign doesn't bother me & DH & I would probably go there alone without DS to get some quiet.

We can't always trust that DS will be in a good mood, so if DH & I have to go out to eat with him, we'll go somewhere that is already loud.

But honestly, crying kids don't bother me, it's when they run all around the restaurant & jump on the seats while their parents do nothing that annoys me.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

I don't see a problem with it BUT I also would have loved the same place to ban abnoxious adults who speak too loud so their entire conversation is that important that the whole restaurant gets to hear it, or the abnoxious person on the cell phone. Those are JUST AS annoying to me.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?

Message edited 9/9/2010 12:41:09 PM.

Re: NC restaurant bans screaming kids. Thoughts?