'I’m not going to serve you here': Here’s why Aussies are divided over this restaurant drama

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.


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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​


Key Takeaways
  • An Adelaide mother, Renèe Barendregt, was asked to leave Lemongrass Thai on the Gold Coast due to her son, Ziggy, not staying in his seat.
  • The restaurant staff insisted she control her son or leave, despite the venue being quiet and no high chair available.
  • Social media users were divided, with some supporting the restaurant's decision and others defending the mother.
  • The restaurant claimed the child posed a safety risk, while Barendregt argued she had only taken one sip of her drink and shouldn’t pay.

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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When I was reading this I was totally on the side of the restaurant except for one point. If the expectation is tell your child to sit and stay, there should be a child's seat provided. He is not a trained puppy. At that age a seat, with restraint, is essential.
It's a holiday city and restaurants should cater to folk who are visiting, ergo, no baby sitter, so, the child has to come too.
If a customer has a problem with keeping a child in check with a seat, then, they should pop on over to Macca's.
 
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Reactions: relljube
IMHO, there is an important point I believe everyone is ignoring..it's called clear communication which I guess could not be made because the restaurant owner admitted English was not their strength.
I believe if the guest was informed that should the child be unable to sit still, them service will not be accorded and the client would have to leave..the child seat was obviously an instrument of restraint and given there was no child seat and the child could not be restrained, owner of restaurant should have advised that service could not be provided..clear concise instructions.
She could have brought her own child seat .... like we have many times. If not needed, leave it in the car.
 
I have seen parents lift children out of highchairs when they got restless. If they do that let them stand next to you - don't let them wander around.
They should also have SAFE gluten free too. e.g. foods like flour drift through the air and could fall into Gluten Free food. Using cooking saucepans, spoons or similar without washing them thoroughly can be a problem too. Most people don't realise that some sauces, salad dressings, confectionery etc contain gluten. Giving people with Coeliac Disease Gluten is like giving them food poisoning and them feeling ill for days, not just hours. I have witnessed it with relatives and friends.
How is gluten relevant to this article?
 
When I was reading this I was totally on the side of the restaurant except for one point. If the expectation is tell your child to sit and stay, there should be a child's seat provided. He is not a trained puppy. At that age a seat, with restraint, is essential.
It's a holiday city and restaurants should cater to folk who are visiting, ergo, no baby sitter, so, the child has to come too.
If a customer has a problem with keeping a child in check with a seat, then, they should pop on over to Macca's.
She could have brought her own child seat .... like we have many times. If not needed, leave it in the car.
 
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Reactions: relljube
I’m with the restaurant here. Not sure why the fact that they had to wait until he woke up, so he could eat with the family, is even the issue here. If they want to eat as a family, then stay together as a family. Where the child was playing was a safety issue.
 
I know a family who went out to dinner when they were staying at their holiday place every weekend. Their children were told they had to stay sitting on their seats. The children mostly finished eating before the adults did. After the childrens' plates etc were cleared they were all allowed to have their colouring books and pencils. They were never allowed to leave the table.
They were older obviously...I am with the Mum...some of the comments here are over the top...am I to believe that parents who have toddlers ( looks to be about 2) should strap them to the seat and then be kicked out because the kid raises a ruckus and has a tantrum? You have all forgotten what it is like with a toddler...they don't understand why they can't move...as for Mum not watching her kid...she knew exactly where he was and what he was doing and it was quiet at the time!
 
Sorry, but the article states that they were told twice. It clearly states that when they arrived, they were told that high chairs weren't available, and then again when the child was playing near the doorway, with the plant.

It's not incumbent on the restaurant to supply high chairs in case a badly behaved child comes in to eat. Nor should the restaurant be blamed for not effectively communicating the need for the child to remain seated, if indeed they did fail to make that clear. I believe they did.

When did the rules change for disciplining children? Our son was in no doubt about the correct way to behave when out in public. Why is the restaurant responsible for teaching manners to this child? It's the mother's job to ensure her son knows how to behave in a restaurant. Did she take a toy that he could play with at the table? How about a book they could read together while waiting for the food? It's not rocket science!
Did you have children? How do you teach a 2 year old manners? I would love to know!
 
I totally agree with the restaurant. If you are going to go out then take responsibility of your children... if not sorry but stay at home. I have had 4 children and now 4 grandkids.. you tell them the rules prior to..
What a 2 year old will remember that there are rules...adult rules!
 
It's great when families can dine out in restaurants with their children, trying different foods in an interesting social environment. In this case, perhaps the mother could have brought some toy with her child to keep him occupied while waiting for the food to arrive. Better still, let the child engage in the family conversations and not exclude him to the point where he has to wander off to the front enterence area, and find some entertainment playing with an artificial plant. The staff are not there to look out for the child, that is the parents responsibility. The staff have a duty to respectfully take food orders, and promptly deliver the dish to the customers table, without worring about holding the hot plates of food and bumping into a child that is bored, and gone off to explore. Second, the child has gone off at the entrance area, where strangers are coming and going, creating a danger for the child should the parents take their eyes off the child for a brief moment. Children don't know about dangers and parents should take full responsibility and keep their children beside them in full view, at all times, when in public areas like restaurants. The mother should have been aware that when you are in a restaurant, you are not at home. Just as much as the mother and her family expect peace and respect, so do all the people who have come to dine in the restaurant . 🙏🦋
 
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IMHO, there is an important point I believe everyone is ignoring..it's called clear communication which I guess could not be made because the restaurant owner admitted English was not their strength.
I believe if the guest was informed that should the child be unable to sit still, them service will not be accorded and the client would have to leave..the child seat was obviously an instrument of restraint and given there was no child seat and the child could not be restrained, owner of restaurant should have advised that service could not be provided..clear concise instructions.
I disagree, it's not the restaurant's job to teach parents how to look after their children. The parents should know and respect other diners and have their child behave in a manner befitting a restaurant. If people don't like that then stiff go elsewhere. I raised 3 boys and they behaved and did as they were told. As a diner I don't want to see/hear kids running around and usually yelling and generally making the dining experience not so enjoyable. I think todays parent don't give a rats about anyone else and use these places to free themselves of the kids. If they want this freedom go without the kids or go to child friendly restaurants where they cater to the kids and they have something to do as well.
 
She could have brought her own child seat .... like we have many times. If not needed, leave it in the car.
Perhaps, however, if they travelled by air, a child seat is not a practical thing to include in the luggage.
Holiday destinations should be ready to see to the needs of visitors and/or tourists.
I think the problem with all of this carry on is more about how the restaurant handled the situation, and the fact that the family did not leave immediately upon finding there was a problem.
 
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Reactions: fred little
I have seen parents lift children out of highchairs when they got restless. If they do that let them stand next to you - don't let them wander around.
They should also have SAFE gluten free too. e.g. foods like flour drift through the air and could fall into Gluten Free food. Using cooking saucepans, spoons or similar without washing them thoroughly can be a problem too. Most people don't realise that some sauces, salad dressings, confectionery etc contain gluten. Giving people with Coeliac Disease Gluten is like giving them food poisoning and them feeling ill for days, not just hours. I have witnessed it with relatives and friends.
What! If your Child has any of these illnesses, don’t place them at risk.
 
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Reactions: fred little
What a self-entitled cretin - and her son will grow up the same. Funny how she had to get her face into the picture frame - again so self-absorbed that it makes me puke. Good on the restaurant for standing by their rules - nothing worse that someone else's brat hanging around and being a nuisance. I have 2 grandchildren and they were taught from an early age what is appropriate or not. Something parents these days seem to lack is the ability to teach their children. As the saying goes "not raised up but dragged up"
 
IMHO, there is an important point I believe everyone is ignoring..it's called clear communication which I guess could not be made because the restaurant owner admitted English was not their strength.
I believe if the guest was informed that should the child be unable to sit still, them service will not be accorded and the client would have to leave..the child seat was obviously an instrument of restraint and given there was no child seat and the child could not be restrained, owner of restaurant should have advised that service could not be provided..clear concise inst
 

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