Nestled in the mountains beside the Toccoa River in Georgia, Toccoa Riverside typically caters to a laid-back and calm clientele, making it a popular dining spot. During meal times, the roadside is often lined with parked cars.
The news outlet, represented by Bryan Mims from Channel 2, seized the opportunity to gather feedback from patrons regarding the ‘poor parenting surcharge.’ Laura Spillman, a Floridian on vacation, found the concept incredulous, stating, “This is crazy. For real? I don’t think you should do it because kids are cute.” Federico Gambineri, dining with his toddler, expressed surprise at the policy, saying, “This is the first time I’ve heard of that, and having a 20-month-old that maybe isn’t the best behaved at a restaurant, I’m hoping that I don’t get charged. I feel that if I were charged, I would be very unhappy about it and probably never recommend the place to somebody.”
Conversely, Anne Cox, enjoying lunch with her family, believed that such fees might encourage parents to better control their children. She remarked, “Parents need to teach kids to behave. There are other people in the world, so they should have fun in the right place.” Regular patron Jack Schneider, though unaware of the surcharge previously, had mixed emotions but leaned towards attributing responsibility to parents. He noted, “I have mixed emotions on that. At the same time, we’ve all sat next to tables where you say hey, do something with that kid. So I really think it’s more on the parents.”