Does a restaurant have a right to tell me that I can't bring in food for my 4 year old son?

Question

We went to dinner at TGI Friday's on Friday night. It was late, and the wait was 25-30 minutes. My son was hungry, so I ran to McDonald's, because Fridays was attached to the mall, to get my son food, because by the time we would have ordered, it would have been an additional 1/2 hour. When they called us, they told us they wouldn't seat us with his food. Is this right? How do you feel about it? If it was a teen or adult, I can understand, but it was a FOUR YEAR OLD. They lost out on $40.00 because of a possible $5.00 meal, and my son doesn't like their food anyway.

Answer 1

no, that is ridiculous

Answer 2

yes, "Friday's" has the right, to deny all services. It's their practices to refuse all outside foods. Odds say Friday's is not in the food court. they rent just like a retail store. A mid-mall dining experience. Sorry but eat the cost and boycott the restaurant, the food is frozen, dirty, and not healthy at all. if you have to go out to eat, save up a little more money and go to a real restaurant, with a chief who knows what he is doing. Or h**l, even your local diner has better food. Kids like dinners more anyway, and sit at the counter.

Answer 3

I can see that you want to prove a point, but the point is that they are right.  From the time line you are giving us, your son would have had thirty minutes to eat his food.  Are you saying that wasn't enough time?

We may not want to admit it, but we aren't always right you know.

Answer 4

Yes. They are there to make money not serve as a lunch room for your 4 year old kid.

Sorry...

Answer 5

Well, you should have called the head machos and complained... I mean 40 dollars... surely they should have sufficed! But you know you could always sue!!! ha ha!

Answer 6

Technically, the restaurant is private property, so they can make up the rules as they like.  Because they are in the "making money" business and not in the "we are going to be good people" business, they are able to kick you out.  Clearly, if they were truly business savvy, they wouldn't have kicked you out because of the money they lost on your bill.

Answer 7

I have been turned away with a birthday cake I made to bring in for a birthday party ( not at tgif's though) Evidently the health inspector comes by to check and they cannot be certified if outside food is brought in.   ( I would never wait 30 mins for any restaurant however since either I would make reservations or go earlier)

Answer 8

How do you think it will look for the restaurant when people look\walk in and someone is sitting eating food from somewhere else?  It is absurd to me that you cannot see it from their point of view.

Answer 9

Ok, the resturant does have the right, but not for the reason that has been given by most people about private property, which is slightly true... There is something to be said about the fact that it's like adverstising McDonalds in TGI Fridays that would be bad if the head person in the franchise came in...

But if it was just for that reason, I think the server would have told you that it's "against" their policy to do as such, but considering it's a four year old.. they were going to be ok with making an exception as long as you throw away the packagaging once you got to the table and put it on their plates... (which would be reasonable as your soon get's the food and and they can just look the other dirrection and say it was one of their speciality kids sandwiches, LOL)....

What was probably really happening is health code voloations... Now, it sounds werid... but I've had some strange cases of this sort of things and laws that have been brought up... so, I'm guessing what really happened is that they didn't want to take the chance of a random inspection from the health code inspector comming in and charging them with a major offense, as your son is a "customer" with food that they know not how it was handeled, prepared, etc... which is a major viloation... Now... It seems far fetched that they'd actually get caught with that one, but if the inspector came in he could have shut the resturant down for food that was brought outside of the resturant into the resturant to be eaten by customers within the resturant (even if it was the customer who brought it in)...

and there's no way to be sure if it was just against their store policy and the waiter was less than generous or if it was a health code thing unless looking at the local laws... for laws are different between city and sometimes between types of resturant... and who know's... it may actually be a mall rule that they coudl loose their spot in the mall if they viloated this too much...

Honestly, I would have asked the waiter if it was alright for your son to finish his food and go ahead and get your food cooking of if they can wait to seat you for another 10 minutes, as I'd bet it wasn't to much longer for him to finish his hamburger... I'm actually halfway suprised they were ok (knowing some local laws) with him eating it in the waiting area, unless you ate at the food court...

Answer 10

Do they have the right? yes  Would I as the manager ask you to if I saw your child was that young knowing the length of the wait? No.

Answer 11

They most definitely have the right to refuse service under that circumstance. Personally, I think it was a bad business decision because they lost your business that night, and it's not as if the patrons of the restaurant were suddenly going to leave and go to eat Mickey D's cause they saw your happy meal. It seems foolish, but they are allowed to be foolish if that's what they choose to be in this instance.

Answer 12

yes

Answer 13

They have the right to refuse you but they are stupid because they lost money they would have received from you.

Answer 14

Because of health code restaurants can't allow outside food and drinks in.

Answer 15

Technically they do have that right but in that situation I'd say it was somewhat unreasonable. Maybe next time you don't want to wait to be seated you should go somewhere else.

Answer 16

Yes.  It's private property.  I can certainly see why they wouldn't want their competitor's product in their store. That being said, your son doesn't like french fries and hamburgers? or chicken tenders? ruby tuesdays has most of the food mcdonald's has, only better tasting.

Answer 17

Yes they do . Now you have a taste of how some places treat smokers

Answer 18

It's common knowledge (as well as common courtesy and common sense) that you may not bring in outside food from one restaurant to another. These businesses sell food and do not make money off of serving as cafeterias. Sorry about your wait, but that's also very common and your only choices are to wait or leave.

Answer 19

Yes, they absolutely have the right to tell people not to bring in outside food. Try keeping healthy snacks with you such as granola, trail mix, or cereal for these kind of situations. A small snack can be eaten while you wait to be seated to tide him over until dinner. Plus it is much healthier than the saturated and trans-fat laden garbage that McDonald's passes off as "food".

Answer 20

I can see there point and your point. Next time maby ask for some bread. Like the kind that they put on the tables.

Answer 21

Yes they have that right.  I think your four year old needs to learn some patience.  How classless to bring Mcdonald's into another restaurant, what were you thinking?

Answer 22

I've never of a restaurant doing that! If you're still going to get food, they should let a four year old eat something- especially considering he may not have eaten anything else. I totally agree with you.

Answer 23

thats not right they should have let u go in. but i guess its their policy and everything so ther eis not much u can do

Answer 24

What are they gonna do about it they can't take the food away from you. Thats against code. Besides TGI friday's sucks

Answer 25

In no way they could tell you not to get food from outside and that to for a small child it is ridiculous

Answer 26

they are following the LAW.

Its part of the health code.. and they can be fined a lot of money if they would have let  you "slide" just so they could be nice to you.

One time in High school i had a restaurant do that to me and my friends who brought in tacos from another place.. they told me it was a health code violation.. so I researched it.. and they werent lying.

I also remember my parents (who owned a restaurant) asking the health inspector about it.. and he confirmed that its a hefty fine if a place is caught.

If you couldn't wait to feed him.. you should've gone, put your name in took the 30 mins to get him his happy meal or whatever and then gone back for your table. besides.. isnt that kinda rude to bring in mcdonalds to a real restaurant where others kids could get jealous? just my opinion... i wouldnt have ever done that. most restaurants (dunno about TGIFs) but.. most that we go to (chilis, claim jumper etc) would have totally given my child something if i were waiting (chips etc) and he was starving.