A Chick-fil-A restaurant in Royersford, Pennsylvania, has banned unaccompanied children under the age of 16 from dining in, citing concerns over noise levels,
disrespect of employees, and unsafe behavior. The ban was announced on the restaurant's Facebook page, and was met with largely positive comments from customers.
The announcement explained that the decision was made in order to provide a comfortable and safe environment for both customers and staff, and to protect the building from damage.
The restaurant emphasized that it was not blaming parents for the behavior of their children, but felt that it had no choice but to take action to prevent disturbances from continuing.
Customers under the age of 16 are still welcome to make purchases inside the restaurant, but must leave after receiving their orders.
The restaurant praised those younger customers who have been well-behaved, and stressed that the ban was aimed at preventing disruption, rather than punishing all children.
The move by the Royersford Chick-fil-A comes just weeks after a New Jersey restaurant made headlines by banning children under the age of 10.
The New Jersey restaurant cited concerns over mess and noise levels, but the move was widely criticized as discriminatory.
While the Royersford ban has been mostly well-received by customers, some have questioned whether it is fair to penalize all younger customers for the behavior of a few.
Others have suggested that the ban could have unintended consequences, such as discouraging families with children from visiting the restaurant altogether.
Despite these concerns, the Royersford Chick-fil-A has stood by its decision, emphasizing that it is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for all customers.
The ban on unaccompanied children under the age of 16 will remain in place until further notice.