A café owner has split opinion over his decision to not cater for kids.
Bob Higginson, who runs an ocean-liner-themed coffee shop called The Chart Room in Devon, has introduced a policy encouraging parents not to bring in their under-12s. He's fine with dogs in the café, though.
Some parents have now called for a boycott for the café, which has been open for around a month, but Bob is sticking to his guns.
The Chart Room doesn't specifically ban kids, but it does have a sign saying that the café doesn't cater for under 12s and he 'actively encourages parents with youngsters' to stay away, Devon Live reports.
Credit: Facebook/The Chart Room
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One woman, Wendy Moore, told the paper: "What kind of town are we living in when dogs are allowed into an establishment and children are not? Who on Earth does Bob Higginson think he is?
"Would he ban disabled people from entering his premises? Or people of a particular race or colour or religion? I'll bet my bottom dollar he wouldn't. Or how about the elderly? Ban them as well, would he? No, he wouldn't - that would be ageism. So how come he thinks it's OK to ban children of a certain age? This is blatant discrimination."
I find that if you keep your alcohol levels properly topped up while dining out you can put up with most stuff, from poor service to screaming kids. That's my top tip.
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However, drinking yourself into a mild stupor isn't for everyone, and some people like to enjoy their free-time in a child-free environment.
Bob, for one. He said: "It's very popular and a lot of people have said they approve of the no children policy.
"My main demographic are older, more mature people who want peace and quiet. I wanted people to be able to come and discuss the old days and have a nostalgic chat without children running around and distracting them.
Credit: Facebook/The Chart Room
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"There are nice and expensive artefacts around which are not behind glass cases like they would be in a museum, so people can touch them, and we've had things broken by children in the past.
"We have never banned anyone. During busy periods we might say to people please come back when it's quieter. It's only small - if we've got one wheelchair or one pushchair there's not room for another.
"Yes, we welcome dogs. A lot of people have assistance dogs or pets they bring with them and they don't jump around taking things off the tables. I've never had a badly behaved dog come in, no dog has ever broken anything in the shop."
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He also apologised for any offence caused.
What do you guys think?
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/The Chart Room