The Chick-fil-A restaurant in Royersford, Pennsylvania recently released a statement on their Facebook page announcing that they will be disallowing unaccompanied minors under the age of 16 from dining in the restaurant.
They explain that after long and careful consideration, their decision was necessary in order to provide a safe and comfortable environment for both their staff and their customers. The statement made mention of inappropriate behavior from these minors, such as using explicit language, stealing decorations, disrespecting employees, and walking unsafely through the parking lot and drive-thru lanes.
In their statement, the restaurant expresses their sadness in making this decision because they enjoy being a community restaurant. Still, they had to take a stand against the numerous extreme behaviors of the unaccompanied minors. They also apologize to those who behave appropriately and explain that they are not blaming the parents for the situation.
In response to the statement, patrons have expressed both agreement and disagreement. Some agree with the decision and wish that other restaurants would make a similar stand, while others believe that the parents should be held responsible for their children’s bad behavior.
In any case, the restaurant stands firm that in order to protect their business, their staff, and their guests, unaccompanied minors under 16 will no longer be allowed to dine in their restaurant.