Weather 
Scram, kids.
A Canadian restaurant that bills itself as “the place to be for people with good taste” is at the center of a dining debate among parents and customers alike after announcing it would ban children under 15.
Miss Christine’s Kitchen, a Jamaican restaurant slated to open its new Winnipeg location on November 30, has been enticing its customers with images of braised oxtail, jerk chicken, fried plantains…and a controversial policy regarding children.
Per the eatery, no one under 15 will be welcome.
Eponymous chef and owner Christine Pattison announced the restriction in a social media post last week.
“At Miss Christine’s Kitchen, we strive to create a warm, cozy and relaxing atmosphere where our guests can enjoy great food, good company and memorable dining experiences,” she wrote.
“We provide a comfortable, intimate setting for adults to get away, unwind and enjoy quality time — whether it’s a romantic evening, a special meeting or simply a chance to relax and recharge.”
“To maintain the intimate setting of our restaurant, our dining room welcomes guests ages 15 and older. We kindly ask that you respect our dining policy as we work to provide every guest with a true Miss Christine’s Dining Experience.”
Some folks applauded her choice, responding to the Facebook post with relief and promises to patronize her new spot.
“As a father of three kids under 8 years old, I fully support this. Not everywhere needs to accommodate kids,” said one supportive dad.
“As someone who is child-free, there should actually be more restaurants that implement this,” said another.
“I’ll gladly leave my kids home to eat in an adult-only restaurant,” said a third.
Others were appalled.
While Pattison scrubbed the original negative comments from her socials, an interview with CTV News gave some the chance to air their grievances.
“If it’s a restaurant, there should be no age limit. It’s not like it’s a bar where you’re serving drinks. I think parents should have the right to take their children to a restaurant,” said one dissenter.
“We live in a world right now that is excluding enough people. And by excluding youngsters from going to restaurants with their families and friends — I think our world needs more inclusion instead of exclusion,” railed another to the same outlet.
Many cited that the policy was a human rights violation.
More outwardly hostile opps went as far as to post fraudulent negative reviews, giving single stars and allegedly fabricating tales of food poisoning and server misconduct…despite the restaurant not having servers or dine-in options available.
Another reviewer called Pattison a “drama farmer” who relied on “AI slop.”
Pattison has posted these negative reviews to the restaurant’s Facebook page to illustrate the backlash and has lobbied to have them removed from their respective review platforms.
A mother and grandmother, Pattison defended her choice to restrict the age of entry in an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press.
“Why is it fair for my customers to work hard for their money, come to have a nice experience and then have kids running around?” the 55-year-old asked.
Pattison explained that during her long tenure in the restaurant business, she noticed children were a consistent disturbance to diners, underscoring that customers often made later reservations or requested fringe tables to avoid them.
Pattison knows the controversial policy may cost her some diners but has faith her customers will support her and order takeout instead if they have young children. Further, she notes that her intimate restaurant has little to offer little ones.
“Why are you bringing a child to a darkly lit restaurant that seats 30 people with nothing to entertain children? You’re ruining that child’s experience,” she said.
Despite a chorus of complaints, Pattison doubled down, telling CTV News she is “sticking to her guns.”
She explained that she decided to ban kids from the restaurant because she believes adults “deserve a break.”
“It’s not like [kids] can’t eat my food. You have the option of picking up… so I don’t see where the [claims of] discrimination are coming in,” she added.
Yesterday, Pattison posted that she had received word from the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, which stated that you have to “prove discrimination” resulted in “some sort of trauma” to warrant an investigation.
“They said it’s all good,” posted Pattison. “That’s all I’m going to say about that.”
Pattison’s preference for an adults-only experience is echoed in larger trends.
Last month, JetBlue and Virgin Voyages teamed up to deliver “Do Not Disturb,” a first-of-its-kind 18-and-up experience.
The blissfully unaccompanied passengers will hop on an adults-only, chartered JetBlue flight that takes off from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport — landing at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
