Home / News / Viral & Trending Restaurant policy sparks debate—’Adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent $$$’ EvgeniiAnd/Shutterstock "He got in our faces and told us that we belonged at Burger King and not at his restaurant." By Diva Anwari October 28, 2023 EvgeniiAnd/Shutterstock Rectangle Should restaurants charge extra fees for “loud” children? It’s a question that has sparked a lot of debate over the years and it’s a popular discussion once more due to a recent debacle. Today reports that a family dinner went awry when the parents received their bill and noticed an extra $50 charge on it. So, of course, they took their case to Reddit and now the story is making headlines. Lyndsey Landmann spoke to Today and said that she and her husband Kyle visited the rural Georgia eatery, Toccoa Riverside Restaurant, with four other families. There were 11 children at the table ranging in age from 3 to 8 years old. Related: This Texas bus driver is being called a ‘hero’ for saving a choking first-grader’s life Landmann, 36, says, “The kids were sitting at one end of the table and they were being so good. I even commented halfway through the meal, ‘I can’t believe how well-behaved they are.’” After their party had dessert, Landmann explains, some parents took their children closer to the water. Shortly after, the owner, Tim Richter, showed up to their table. This restaurant charges you extra for bad parenting byu/LPineapplePizzaLover inmildlyinteresting “He has the menu in hand and he’s showing us where it talks about the fee,” she explains. “At first I thought he was gonna compliment us and be like, ‘But you won’t be charged because your kids were so well-behaved.’” The menus at Toccoa Riverside Restaurant open up to a warning for patrons: “Adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent $$$.” But, it’s important to note that when the restaurant charges parents, there’s no specific distinction for “adults unable to parent.” That’s when Richter complained the kids were being “loud” and, Landmann says, he was angry they were “running around outside.” “I was like, ‘They were quiet the whole time.’ He got in our faces and told us that we belonged at Burger King and not at his restaurant. We asked to speak to the owner and he said he was the owner,” Landmann tells Today. “I looked around the restaurant and everybody was frozen watching this show he was putting on. He was yelling.” Related: These godparents made the greatest possible entrance to the hospital to meet their godchild The Reddit post detailing their experience has gotten a lot of engagement and Redditors are on both sides of the argument. Here’s what they had to say: Comment byu/LPineapplePizzaLover from discussion inmildlyinteresting Comment byu/LPineapplePizzaLover from discussion inmildlyinteresting Comment byu/LPineapplePizzaLover from discussion inmildlyinteresting Today was able to get a comment from an employee who said, “We’re not going to comment on a policy we’ve had for years. We just want to live in the woods and cook.” Between these kinds of penalties and new airline policies specifying designated “child-free zones,” it’s really limiting where and how families can go together. And it also makes you wonder, what’s next? The latest News Why Australia’s social media ban for kids under 16 could change parenting worldwide News Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt welcome a baby boy—and his name has a classic twist News Megan Fox is pregnant! How she and Machine Gun Kelly are embracing a new chapter after loss News Mom goes viral on TikTok for saying parents shouldn’t share kids’ faces online—what do you think?