Chez Xue restaurant charges parents for damage caused by unruly kids
CA restaurant blames parents for disturbing children’s harm
Chez Xue, a Chinese restaurant in Northern California, is gaining viral attention for its policy of fining parents for property damage caused by their disruptive children. This controversial approach has included charging for broken items such as a credit card machine and a carved table top, sparking a heated debate about parental responsibility and restaurant expectations.
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A California restaurant owner has gone viral for asking parents to supervise their children while eating and warning that they will be responsible for any damage their children cause to the restaurant’s property.
Chez Xue, located in Foster City in the San Francisco Bay Area, made the announcement more than a year ago but recently went viral after a photo was posted on social media.
“Please check on your children,” the notice reads. “Chez Xue is a family-friendly restaurant. However, we are not a playground. Please ensure that children are NOT seated at all times and are respectful of other guests and the dining environment. Running around, yelling, making noise with utensils, etc. WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! Guests who do not abide by this policy may be asked to leave. We will hold parents financially responsible for any damage their children cause to restaurant property.”
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The post received nearly 1.7 million views and received numerous reactions.
“It was not our intention to start some kind of controversy,” Chez Xue owner You You Xue told Fox News Digital.
A California restaurant owner’s warning to parents to control their children has gone viral. (iStock)
Rather, he said, the policy was about maintaining order at the restaurant.
“The policy is common sense and the reactions are a bit confusing,” Xue said.
Still, Xue said the “vast majority” of customers and the public were supportive.
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Xue said the behavior of children in his restaurant had worsened in the past year, prompting him to publish the announcement. He said parents are increasingly “abandoning personal responsibility” when it comes to raising their children.
“This is not a punishment. It’s about basic respect.”
He recalled children running around the restaurant “like it was a race track” as servers carried large bowls of hot soup, flaming clay pots and sharp knives. Other children climbed outdoor umbrellas or carved patterns on special wooden tables, while parents watched without intervening, he said.
Xue also recalled seeing a parent changing her child’s diaper at the dining table next to other patrons.
In another example, a parent was giving a standalone credit card machine to his child when the child dropped it and shattered the screen. After initially trying to negotiate a lower amount because the machine had already been used, parents eventually paid $327 to replace it, Xue said.
Parents’ inability to control their children in restaurants is a trend one restaurateur has noticed increasing in the past year. (iStock)
“We had to twist parents’ arms several times or threaten to take legal action,” said Xue. “Most parents prefer to avoid this in the beginning.”
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Businesses have the right to set expectations for customer behavior, said etiquette expert Diane Gottsman, founder of the Texas Protocol School in San Antonio.
“No client wants to eat from another client who has just changed their diaper, whether it has been cleaned before or not,” Gottsman told Fox News Digital. “This is totally unhygienic, unappetizing and could be detrimental to business.”
A California restaurant owner said he experienced children treating his business like a playground. (iStock)
Jan Goss, a Texas-based professional development expert, told Fox News Digital that restaurants also provide parents with the opportunity to teach their children patience, manners and consideration for others.
“Children need these opportunities to learn how to navigate public spaces,” said Goss, who is raising three biological children, has eight grandchildren and has raised more than 50 foster children.
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He acknowledged that it can be difficult for toddlers to sit still for long periods of time, but letting them run around a restaurant poses a safety risk for everyone.
“It’s all about respect,” he said. “It’s not restrictive. Respect ensures everyone can benefit from the same space.”
One etiquette expert said one restaurant offers great moments that can teach kids when it comes to patience and manners. (iStock)
Some news sources reported that Chez Xue fined parents.
“This is not a punishment,” Xue explained. “It’s about basic respect.”
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Xue’s restaurant remains “family-oriented,” and he noted that about 98% of the children who eat there are well-behaved. Xue said there are no plans to ban children.
“It’s actually the parents who aren’t doing their job,” he said. “We will not allow a few people to ruin the lives of the many.”
The restaurant owner said he had no intention of letting a few unruly kids and their parents ruin everyone’s dining experience. (iStock)
He encouraged parents to view dining out as a privilege and to teach their children to respect a restaurant as if they were someone else’s home.
“I’m not trying to belittle,” Xue said. “I really just try to be transparent with my clients.”
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Goss added that children aren’t born knowing restaurant etiquette, but the restaurant environment can be “a great teachable moment that will benefit kids for the rest of their lives.” [lives]”
