Jam Tree waitress ask me to leave because I'm with a baby! Post Reply

[oliver2012]

I would like to share with you what happened to me recently and I ask for your opinion.
Last Saturday me and my husband went into the Jam Tree in Clapham Common to say ''hi'' to our friends who were having dinner there. As usual we brought our 7 months old baby along.
It was 6.30pm ,we got in, our friends were having dinner as well as other few customers and it was not busy. As we start chatting after a minute a waitress approaches me and tell me that babies are not allowed in the place after 7pm. It sounded strange to me but I tried to understand ,it is not 7pm yet so I replied that there was no problem because we would have left in the next 10 minutes.
She then looked at the clock on the wall, turned to me with an unsatisfied expression and made it clear that was not good enough and very rudely she asked me to leave immediately.
I did not say a word and we left.
I felt appalled, hurt and hungry as I found the all situation a matter of discrimination.
In 35 years none has ever asked me to leave a public place and much less because I was with a baby.
That waitress should receive a training on manner first then use her common sense to think before open her mouth.
I won't go there never ever again.

[mrsbfrombalham]

I suspect they have a licence around "no kids after 7pm". However there is a way to do this nicely and that's certainly not it. At the end of the day, if Jam Tree treats their customers with so little respect - and particularly those with kids - they won't last long in nappy valley
It always amazes me that people forget that a mum with baby might come back kids-free with partner or friends another time.

[juliantenniscoach]

Wow - unbelievable. You should let people post their thoughts on this then email it to the manager. Be interesting to read their response. When I first read that post I thought I'd stepped back to the '70's!

[mrs_pavlova]

I do agree this is awful behaviour and customer service, but if you feel strongly, would it not be fairer to speak to the manager directly to allow them to apologise directly?

After all, this is somebody's business, and in this economic climate I feel it unfair to give somewhere a bad name all because of one waitress who may well have felt that she was doing what her boss would want.

[oliver2012]

hi everyone,
thanks for your reply so far..
The manager has been informed by e-mail.
He felt horrified because he has children himself and he is going to investigate the matter fully.
I will keep you posted on what his reply is going to be.

[Jen66]

Hmm not sure about this.

There's no excuse for rudeness but if you just wanted to drop by on your friends and chat to them then you should do that at your home or theirs. That's not what restaurants are for.
I

[rcourtney]

Thanks for letting everyone know. Knowing that the Jam Tree doesn't allow children (in particular babies) on the premises after 7pm makes me inclined to book a table ASAP. Nappy Valley is over run with children (which is great) but sometimes all you want to do is go out for dinner without children ...

[Genie]

We got asked to leave All Bar One in Northcote Road because we had our (sleeping!) 19-month-old with us after 6 pm. It was done nicely, however.
As the previous poster said, there is a place for child-prohibited restaurants/bars. However, this should be made clear before you get seated and settled and choose your drinks and food. And publicising this policy on places like NappyValleyNet and Mumsnet to let us all know to avoid those places is really useful.

[momtomum]

I'm new to London, so forgive me if this is obvious.

Are there laws or regulations that prohibit children from being in certain restaurants, bars or pubs after a certain time?

Or is this just the policy of these restaurants?

I think I understand where they are coming from in wanting to create a certain type of atmosphere, but they should be polite. I never saw anything like this where we used to live in Seattle - however there definitely were bars and clubs where no one under 18 or 21 was allowed in ever. And from time to time, I enjoyed taking one of my children on a special "date" to a nice restaurant in the evening to practice using good manners.

[Katevic]

Its the do with the type of licence and insurance they have. Also most people who are out for a night out do not want children haring round the place, babies crying, or having to squeeze around buggies/prams.
I totally understand it, particularly when youve paid for a babysitter for a peaceful night out.
Maybe the waitress told you before you'd settled in and ordered drinks. Or maybe she was telling you because you were sat with no drinks and she wanted you to order some!

[linzi_77]

I suspect there's a vital piece of information left out of the story: where was the pram? It's often not the babies themselves that cause the problems in restaurants. Prams and pushchairs block pathways and restrict access to tables. The waitstaff were probably trying to get the restaurant ready for their 7pm rush and having to repeatedly walk around your pram, and their main concern was how they were going to get all their paying customers sat at 7pm, bring them menus, water, wine, and bread, with your pram blocking the access. The waitress may not have approached you particularly pleasantly, but perhaps you ignored earlier signs that the pram was in the way? Just saying.

[Jen66]

But the OP wasn't there to eat or drink - just to chat to friends.

[linzi_77]

Exactly. So they weren't even paying for the space they were taking up, and potentially disturbing the diners who would be sitting down to eat and drink. That said, the earlier person who said restaurants should remember that people may come back without their children at a later date also has a valid point.

[cosmopolitanmum]

I understand that there are some parents/ non parents that want to enjoy an evening without children but I also find it crazy that UK culture is that kids cant be involved in normal life. I come from a v family oriented culture where children are part of life and so they can be involved in everything!
I appreciate you have to respect rules and wishes of others but its just something I find very strange about British culture.

[Katevic]

I understand that but not if they are in the way of people trying to have an evening out and particularly if they are taking place of paying customers. I would ask someone to leave my restaurant as well!