Singaporean restaurant imposes S$10 (P400) 'screaming children surcharge' for those who disturb other diners
Keep your little ones quiet and behave!
A Singaporean restaurant is imposing a SGD$10 (P400) additional charge if a child of a customer disturbs other patrons and makes noise in the establishment, according to the Singaporean digital news site Mothership.
Angie's Oyster Bar & Grill, located in Tan Boon Liat Building at Outram Road in Singapore implemented a “not so new” policy after they received “an increasing number of complaints about children running around unattended or disturbing other tables during the service period."
“Not only is this dangerous as servers are often moving around with hot food and sharp cutlery, but it is also disrespectful to other diners who may wish to dine in a quiet and comfortable atmosphere,” the restaurant said in the queries of Mothership about their policy.
They also added that policy is just a way to provide a “pleasant environment for all dining guests” and to “lookout for ways to improve their customer experience” since they are known for receiving high praises for their food, ambiance and service.
The restaurant, which is very open about their policy, cited that although some incidents are manageable, they still occasionally experience situations where nothing is done about noisy children and few diners “may feel more entitled than others” which makes them impose a “penalty” to address unfortunate situations.
“It pains us to impose the policy but it was never our intention to diminish any of our guests' experience. We seek parents, caretakers' kind understanding to tend to their children as we aim to provide as many pleasant and memorable dining experiences for as many customers as possible,” the restaurant said.
Angie’s has also received some negative reviews for not being family-friendly as they were not providing any baby chairs to some diners who brought their kids with them and only a space for a pram would be provided.
The seafood restaurant, a well-decorated establishment with wine bottles on display, is known for serving oysters and late night dining specialties. The restaurant is located on the second-floor of a building that requires patrons to climb up stairs, making it difficult for those with strollers to access.
Amidst their policy, the restaurant still welcomes those with children to dine in, however, they must be aware of the possible surcharge on their final bill once the kids will make noise and disturb others.
The restaurant said that they will "continue striving to provide a better dining experience to all guests even if it means introducing ‘creative’ policies”.
Some restaurants in Singapore also have similar policies that limits the access to children and strollers.
According to the Mothership report, restrictions are usually imposed in some premises with smaller locations such as PS.Cafe at Ann Siang Hill which has a small quaint space with many steps, as well as Ce La Vi located on the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands which is unable to accommodate strollers.