Eating at a restaurant can be a challenging situation for parents. Often, parents struggle to manage their children in public, leading to a negative dining experience for all.

A North Georgia restaurant surprised everyone by implementing a policy of fining customers for ‘poor parenting.’ The Toccoa Riverside Restaurant near Blue Ridge has caused controversy online: should parents be charged for misbehaving kids?
A Reddit user shared their encounter at the restaurant. They mentioned, “The restaurant owner approached me and informed that an additional $50 would be added to my bill due to my children’s behavior… I was let down by the whole experience.”
The restaurant owner, Tim Richter, spoke to a reporter and shared their perspective. He admitted that they implemented a surcharge to offset expenses during COVID-19, but clarified that no customer was overcharged on their bill.
He claimed he never used the surcharge as a threat until recently when a family with nine children visited his restaurant. He mentioned that the kids were running around uncontrollably.

He mentioned that although he warned the parents, he never ended up asking them for the money!
“We want parents to be parents,” He just stated. The eatery, nestled in the mountains by the Toccoa River, is accustomed to a peaceful crowd. It’s a well-liked spot and during dining hours, cars line up along the road.
Laura Spillman, a customer from Florida visiting the town, was shocked when she heard about the policy.
“That is crazy,” she said incredulously. “For real? I don’t think you should do it because kids are cute.”
Anne Cox, who was enjoying a meal with her family, mentioned that the charge might motivate parents to manage their kids in order to improve their behavior.
She said, “Parents need to teach kids etiquette,” adding, “They need to teach kids to behave. There are other people in the world, so they should have fun in the right place.”
Federico Gambineri, who was dining with his young child, expressed surprise at the restaurant’s policy. He mentioned, “I’ve never heard of this before, and since my 20-month-old may not always behave well at restaurants, I hope I won’t be charged.”. “I feel that if I were charged, I would be very unhappy about it and probably never recommend the place to somebody.”

Jack Schneider, a frequent customer at the restaurant, claimed to be unaware of this additional fee.“I have mixed emotions on that,” Schneider said. “At the same time, we’ve all sat next to tables where you say hey, do something with that kid. So I really think it’s more on the parents.”
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