Restaurant charges ‘bad parenting’ fee, sparks outrage

A diner told Reddit a Georgia restaurant charged a 'bad parenting fee'
The owner said he merely warned the group but did not charge
The fee was for children being loud and running around outside

Updated: Oct 27, 2023 / 04:13 PM CDT

Empty tables stand at a restaurant in midtown on August 03, 2021 in New York. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — One Georgia restaurant has been hit with backlash online after charging a fee for poor parenting.

A customer at the Taccoa Riverside Restaurant in Blue Ridge, Georgia, posted on Reddit claiming they were told $50 was being added to the bill for their children’s behavior.

Owner Tim Richter said the surcharge began during the COVID-19 outbreak but said he only warned the family but did not actually charge the fee.

Lyndsey Landmann said she and her family ate at the restaurant with four others in a party that included up to 11 children.

Landmann claimed the children were all well-behaved, but said Richter stopped by after the meal and said he would charge them because the kids were too loud and were running around outside.

While most Reddit users seemed to be in agreement about the charge being too much, which is listed on the menu, other diners weren’t so convinced, hoping a fee might help motivate parents to teach their children how to behave in a restaurant.