'I’m not going to serve you here': Here’s why Aussies are divided over this restaurant drama
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A disagreement at a popular Gold Coast restaurant has sparked a heated debate about parenting, public spaces, and customer expectations.
What started as a casual family dinner quickly turned into a controversy that has left many questioning the boundaries of hospitality and the rights of parents dining out.
Here’s what happened next…
An Adelaide mother, Renèe Barendregt, found herself at the centre of controversy after being asked to leave Lemongrass Thai restaurant on Main Beach during a holiday on the Gold Coast.
Barendregt was dining with her son, Ziggy, and her mother when the incident unfolded, which has since sparked heated discussions on social media.
The mother said there was no high chair available, but staff initially warned her that she would need to keep her child in his seat, a request that became an issue later in the evening.
Her son, Ziggy, left the table during the first round of drinks and approached a nearby couple with their baby, before playing with a fake pot plant.
'He started playing with the pot plant–a fake pot plant,' she said in a social media video.
'He wasn’t doing anything wrong; he was just minding his own business, not pulling it apart or anything.'
Barendregt explained that the restaurant was fairly quiet at the time, with only about six people there, as they arrived at 5:30 pm.
Despite this, staff approached the table and informed her that if Ziggy could not sit down, she would be asked to leave.
'(Staff) came over to me, and they said: "Could you please put your child in the seat? If he can't sit down the whole time, I'm going to have to ask you to leave",' she recalled.
In response, she tried to explain the situation, pointing out that her son was not causing any harm and was simply waiting to eat.
'I said, "Well, you haven't given us a high chair. He is not doing anything wrong. He is not harming anything. He will sit and eat dinner when it comes."'
However, the staff member insisted that Barendregt either get Ziggy to sit down or leave.
'The staff said, "Sorry. If he's not going to sit there the whole time, I'm not going to serve you here".'
Upset, Barendregt returned to her hotel room, ordering food through a delivery app instead of eating out.
She shared her frustration online, explaining how she had been waiting for Ziggy to wake up so the family could enjoy dinner together.
The video of the incident went viral, accumulating more than 1 million views on social media.
Source: Tiktok/reneebarendregt
'Maybe (the staff) would have thought twice if he knew I had been waiting for (Ziggy) to wake up so we could go out for dinner as a family, just us two and my mum,' she said tearfully.
Public opinion was divided on the incident, with many siding with the restaurant's decision.
'(Some parents) really think that "it takes a village" means "everyone must keep an eye on my kid except me while I have a drink",' one social media user commented.
'Parents like this make the rest of us look so bad,' another added.
Another commenter stated: 'Kids are allowed to exist in public spaces, but we as parents need to show them how to respect public spaces. She can have him sit down or leave.'
On the other side, supporters of Barendregt felt the restaurant could have shown more patience.
'These comments are wild. Children have the right to exist in the world and parents have the right to eat out just like every other paying customer,' one person argued.
In response to the controversy, the restaurant’s owners released a statement via their daughter, who explained that English was not their first language.
'Our restaurant typically does not have toddlers dining there,' the post read.
It went on to describe how Ziggy had wandered from his seat and played with a plant located near the entrance, which posed a safety hazard as the restaurant grew busier.
'Whilst (the adults were) consuming their drinks the child had wandered out of their seat and started to play with the plant, which was in arms reach, yes, however, it is also located near the entrance of the restaurant,' the statement explained.
'During this time we started getting busy with takeaways and customers walking in and out of the restaurant. Because of the location, it was a safety hazard.'
The restaurant argued that Barendregt could not control her son and chose to leave.
'They stood up, drank their alcohol and left without paying,' the statement continued.
Barendregt later addressed the comment, asking why she should pay for a drink she had only taken one sip of.
In a follow-up social media video, she revealed the impact of the situation, describing how she had been harassed online as a result of the incident.
Source: Youtube/reneebarendregt
What do you think–should parents have more leeway in public spaces, or do restaurants have the right to enforce stricter rules for safety? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
What started as a casual family dinner quickly turned into a controversy that has left many questioning the boundaries of hospitality and the rights of parents dining out.
Here’s what happened next…
An Adelaide mother, Renèe Barendregt, found herself at the centre of controversy after being asked to leave Lemongrass Thai restaurant on Main Beach during a holiday on the Gold Coast.
Barendregt was dining with her son, Ziggy, and her mother when the incident unfolded, which has since sparked heated discussions on social media.
The mother said there was no high chair available, but staff initially warned her that she would need to keep her child in his seat, a request that became an issue later in the evening.
Mum’s holiday dinner takes an unexpected turn at restaurant. Image source: Tiktok/reneebarendregt
Her son, Ziggy, left the table during the first round of drinks and approached a nearby couple with their baby, before playing with a fake pot plant.
'He started playing with the pot plant–a fake pot plant,' she said in a social media video.
'He wasn’t doing anything wrong; he was just minding his own business, not pulling it apart or anything.'
Barendregt explained that the restaurant was fairly quiet at the time, with only about six people there, as they arrived at 5:30 pm.
Despite this, staff approached the table and informed her that if Ziggy could not sit down, she would be asked to leave.
'(Staff) came over to me, and they said: "Could you please put your child in the seat? If he can't sit down the whole time, I'm going to have to ask you to leave",' she recalled.
In response, she tried to explain the situation, pointing out that her son was not causing any harm and was simply waiting to eat.
'I said, "Well, you haven't given us a high chair. He is not doing anything wrong. He is not harming anything. He will sit and eat dinner when it comes."'
However, the staff member insisted that Barendregt either get Ziggy to sit down or leave.
'The staff said, "Sorry. If he's not going to sit there the whole time, I'm not going to serve you here".'
Upset, Barendregt returned to her hotel room, ordering food through a delivery app instead of eating out.
She shared her frustration online, explaining how she had been waiting for Ziggy to wake up so the family could enjoy dinner together.
The video of the incident went viral, accumulating more than 1 million views on social media.
Source: Tiktok/reneebarendregt
'Maybe (the staff) would have thought twice if he knew I had been waiting for (Ziggy) to wake up so we could go out for dinner as a family, just us two and my mum,' she said tearfully.
Public opinion was divided on the incident, with many siding with the restaurant's decision.
'(Some parents) really think that "it takes a village" means "everyone must keep an eye on my kid except me while I have a drink",' one social media user commented.
'Parents like this make the rest of us look so bad,' another added.
Another commenter stated: 'Kids are allowed to exist in public spaces, but we as parents need to show them how to respect public spaces. She can have him sit down or leave.'
On the other side, supporters of Barendregt felt the restaurant could have shown more patience.
'These comments are wild. Children have the right to exist in the world and parents have the right to eat out just like every other paying customer,' one person argued.
In response to the controversy, the restaurant’s owners released a statement via their daughter, who explained that English was not their first language.
'Our restaurant typically does not have toddlers dining there,' the post read.
It went on to describe how Ziggy had wandered from his seat and played with a plant located near the entrance, which posed a safety hazard as the restaurant grew busier.
'Whilst (the adults were) consuming their drinks the child had wandered out of their seat and started to play with the plant, which was in arms reach, yes, however, it is also located near the entrance of the restaurant,' the statement explained.
'During this time we started getting busy with takeaways and customers walking in and out of the restaurant. Because of the location, it was a safety hazard.'
The restaurant argued that Barendregt could not control her son and chose to leave.
'They stood up, drank their alcohol and left without paying,' the statement continued.
Barendregt later addressed the comment, asking why she should pay for a drink she had only taken one sip of.
In a follow-up social media video, she revealed the impact of the situation, describing how she had been harassed online as a result of the incident.
Source: Youtube/reneebarendregt
What do you think–should parents have more leeway in public spaces, or do restaurants have the right to enforce stricter rules for safety? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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