A North Sydney lobster restaurant is in hot water over a Facebook post the owner made, saying the restaurant would no longer allow “screaming children.”
The owner, Richard Moore, has apologized and the comment has been removed, but some parents are upset.
“I thought it was rude,” said Kristy Grant. “You’re trying to basically tell people that if you have kids, the only place for you to eat is MacDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King.”
Mom Shoshanna Fraser said while the comment was poorly worded, she can sympathize with the restaurant owner.
“It hits a little bit of a nerve, but at the same time you can appreciate going out to a restaurant and it being just the adults,” Fraser said.
Moore posted a lengthy apology after removing his original post. In it, he said he likes children and that his post was worded poorly.
CTV News spoke to Moore on Wednesday, and while he declined to do an on-camera interview, he said he is apologetic and that the public backlash has gotten out of hand. Some of his staff have even been harassed, he said.
“[It’s] the mob mentality,” Fraser said. “Just on Facebook, some of the comments I’m reading, and what people are saying is really ugly.”
Others are taking a humorous approach. A local radio station aired a song with the lyrics, “You’ve got that screaming baby” on its morning show.
“Just joining the conversation that was on social media, and doing it in a fun and satirical way,” said radio host Donnie Green.
Still, Grant said she won’t be going back to the restaurant.
“Even if they apologized, there’s no point. You already stated how you feel about screaming children in your restaurant,” she said.
Moore said he knows he may lose some customers and that he can’t take back his words, but he said he is asking customers to give him another chance.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald
