A Foster City restaurateur is sparking debate after a viral social media post revealed the business’s strict dining policy that fines parents if their children damage restaurant property.
Late last month, a user on X shared a screenshot of the policy at Chinese restaurant Chez Xue, which urges parents to keep their children seated while reminding them that the restaurant is “not a playground.” The memo also included specific dates when parents of unruly children were fined, including one fee of $327.03 after a child dropped and damaged a credit card reader last April. The post has since been viewed more than 1 million times and garnered hundreds of comments, mostly in favor of the policy.
“Running around, shouting, making noise with utensils, etc. will not be tolerated,” the policy listed on the menu reads, in part. “We will hold parents financially liable for all damages caused by their children to restaurant property.”
Owner You You Xue told SFGATE that he was surprised when he saw the viral post and added that he was pleased when he read many comments supporting his view. The policy, which was implemented on the menu at the start of the year, was never an “anti-children campaign,” Xue said, but one he felt it necessary to add in writing after years of observing poor behavior from both parents and children. Xue said he’s seen everything from children running around the dining room to parents changing diapers at dining booth seats at his restaurant, which is on Metro Center Boulevard across from a Costco. The credit card reader incident last April was the last straw…