Pennsylvania Chick-fil-A Banning Unaccompanied Minors Due to ‘Unacceptable Behaviors’

One Chick-fil-A location in Pennsylvania has grown tired of rowdy children acting recklessly inside their restaurant and has put a controversial policy in place to end it.

The Chick-fil-A restaurant located at 70 Buckwalter Road Suite 1450 in Royersford shared a lengthy Facebook post on February 22nd. The now-viral message confirmed that children under the age of 16 were no longer allowed inside the establishment unattended. The restaurant explained that it “contemplated long and hard” before sharing such an update but felt it was finally time to implement the new rules. 

As the post explained, when children and teens were previously dropped off at a nearby bounce park, they often walked to the Chick-fil-A, where they remained for hours without parental supervision. While there, the fast food eatery pointed out that the groups often used explicit language, left excessive amounts of trash behind, and disrespected the staff. Employees have reported the kids cursing and taunting them when asked to respect the dining area. Decor has also reportedly been stolen by the rowdy packs. Even more startling and potentially dangerous is the amount of children walking in and out of drive-thru lines, running the risk of being hit in traffic. 

Due to the disruptive behaviors, the location has stated anyone under 16 who an adult does not accompany must order food to go. While the post did thank those children who acted appropriately inside the location, no exceptions will be made due to “numerous extreme behaviors.”

Many parents agreed with the stance that the restaurant was taking. “We completely support you in your decision,” commenter Sarah Preston Kauffman wrote. Some wondered why the restaurant wasn’t acting against the parents. 

“Why aren’t you blaming the parents? It is absolutely a parenting problem,” one user named Ann Margaret wrote. 

The post has attracted over 340 shares, and though controversial, the practice is becoming more common.  Nettie’s House of Spaghetti in Tinton, Falls, New Jersey, recently restricted children under age 10, even if dining with family. In 2017, Caruso’s in Mooresville, North Carolina, made headlines when it banned youngsters under age five after parents refused to turn down a child’s iPad that was disruptive to surrounding guests. 

Is this practice fair or is it discriminatory against children?