As this article states, this has raised all sorts of legal questions. But take the legality of it for a second and think about whether it's "right" or not. My first thought -- as someone who enjoys a nice, quiet dinner -- is something along the lines of "bravo!"
My next thought -- as a parent -- is that I'm shocked any establishment would put up something like this. My third thought is that I'm not sure I would go to the Olde Salty, knowing this is up there. (And it's not because I'm scared my kids may misbehave -- that's actually the least of my concerns. I'm not sure I would want to give them business.)
It apparently has not hurt business, however, according to the owner.
“It has been a good thing for us,” Armes told NBC affiliate WECT. “It has brought in more customers than it has ever kept away.”
Indeed, a first-time diner at the Olde Salty told WECT he embraced the signage. “It’s not very enjoyable when you hear a bunch of kids screaming,” Gary Gibson said. “It’s nice to see a sign like that up.”
Full disclosure: I have no idea what the Olde Salty is like, or its clientele. I will now put forth a sweeping generalization and say that a place with the name "Olde Salty" probably has loud enough adults that kids aren't that big of a distraction. But I could be painfully wrong on that.
But what are your thoughts? Are you more apt to eat at a place that tries to police childish (literally!) behavior? Or do you find it tacky and will stay away?
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