Fastfood? I thought it was a coffee establishment.



BTW - to the person that started this thread..The annyoing, hyperactive "brats" are probably high on the smell of caffeine. Wait until they're old enough to drink it. You'd have something to complain about then. Doesn't your company supply an office for you (that's assuming you're employed in one of those kinds of jobs)?

Coffee places are NOT good for kids? Why not? What you mean is that kids aren't good for YOUR experience at Starbucks. If that's the case, you've got a wallet. Patronize another business if you are unhappy with the way the managers of Strarbucks run their store.

Yes, and kids being so much smaller react strongly to chemical stimuli. Some people just have lower tolerance for noise than others when working, I for one couldn't get serious reading done in Starbucks- that's my shortcoming with concentration not the venues.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...520318,00.html

Soon you won't be able to tell the difference between Starbucks and McDonalds.

Even without the food, a Starbucks Venti Java Chip Frappuccino has more calories (650) than a Big Mac, and almost as many grams of fat 25 v 33.

Now I see what you mean. Sorry. Keep Starbucks the way it is. They seem to be doing great even without the breakfast. That's just what this world needs. More people overloaded on fatty sandwiches and coffee.

I think that is the key point. Parents who parent, vs. parents who are afraid to parent.

I don't particularly like the seating at most Starbucks so even though I have iPass for the T-Mobile wifi, I never go there to sit. And I'm somebody who grew up in a restaurant and finds the noises of a Starbucks, Panera, Corner Bakery, etc. soothing when I'm working on something complicated.

Or parents who believe that letting their children behave in any manner they so choose IS parenting...

I take my 2 and 6 year old to Starbucks - one gets hot cocoa and the other a chocolate milk while I enjoy my latte. Hmmm - seems like I drop about $10 to your $3.

Yes everyone has the right to expect not to have a kid screaming in their ear, but there are levels of that expectancy. 5* restaurant - no kids, Starbucks? Lots of 'em. You want quiet, choose the library (where you better believe my kids have to keep quiet) or choose another public domain where the expectancy of quiet is less.

Oh and here is an additional twist to this topic:

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sec...cal&id=3621486
http://www.plastic.com/comments.html...09280566;cid=2

Personally, I wouldn't go to that establishment with my kids, but I might without them. I say bravo to that store owner for standing up for his convictions regardless of his bottom line. Heck, his bottom line might even flourish!

I agree with Analise completely, bit of course, Im a kid. lol.

Exactly, it is all about the atmosphere and tone your paying for.

The Taste of Heaven story was all over the news a few months ago.

From the article you quoted:

"We put the sign [that children had to behave] up because we were losing business. People were walking out because they'd come in and there were kids running around screaming," said McCauley."

I simply don't patronize places where children are carrying on like that, and I know there are many more like me. McCauley would have lost my business permanently if he hadn't put his foot down.

You may spend $10 to my $3 (actually, it's about $6 at the Starbucks near my office -- Latte plus coffee cake). However, my office is a block away, and I'd go every day were it not for the zoo that the Starbucks has become. Example, the last time I went there (literally, the LAST time), some family came in with a couple of kids and a stroller, spread themselves out over one entire side of the store and made an horrendous racket. The last straw for me, however, was when the mother put the toddler on a the counter and let him walk around! I went over to the manager, who was watching obliviously, and told her that (1) because Starbucks apparently tolerated this behavior, I'd never be back, and (2) I was calling the Board of Health. This prompted her into action and she kicked the family out. Too little, too late, as far as I'm concerned. So, that $6 x 5 x 4.5= $135/month that I take to Briazz, rather than Starbucks, because it tolerates outrageous behavior by parents of out-of-control children.

If you followed the Taste of Heaven incident, you know there is a mighty backlash brewing, and I expect we're going to see all sorts of significant limits on where people can take their children. The fault, of course, is not all parents, nor are all kids problems. However, the, "I'll take my kid anywhere, so deal with it if he's bothering you," crowd have absolutely poisoned the air for more responsible parents.

I think this is an excellent point.
It is very SAD that in the last 4-5 years, people in public (in anyplace) have gotten so comfortable with themselves and have lost most common courtesy and manners that they behave as if any public area is their own living room.
My wife and I (notice I wrote "I", not "myself", there, as "I" is proper English that we all learned in 2nd grade) were at Chicago O'Hare airport last month and while waiting for boarding we saw:

1. a man sloppily eating an entire fast-food meal at his seat
2. a woman in her mid-20s LYING on the floor on her stomach talking on
her cellphone.
3. about 40 percent of the people in the immedicate vicinity talking on
their phones at length

I think the days of courtesy are long GONE. Look at all the garbage on TV in the last several years - gee, let's GLAMOURIZE obnoxious and revolting behavior. Just what all the TV-addicted kids in the US need. They can't learn manners from their busy parents (most are too busy to provide that guidance - but some still do), so they learn to be intrusive, loud, and offensive from all the "celebrities" they watch on the boob tube.

As for babies crawling around on the floor or on counters in public places - this is just plain disgusting. Don't those parents know what people drag around on their shoes? You may as well allow the child to crawl around under the urinal in the toilet.

It also seems that some people are very uncomfortable when they are walking around and are NOT on the phone with someone.
If cell phones are allowed on planes we are looking at an absolutely HORRENDOUS environment while flying. Time to splurge for a ride on a private jet - expensive, yes, but at least you can retain your sanity!

Why not offer them some coffee--that will calm them down

Excellent point, but why does it make me want to start a thread about Homeowners' Associations (HOAs)?

Wow. Soon coffee places will NOT be good for anyone with the likes of your type around. Others have noted that no one group deserves preference in public places (not students, workers, childless folks, etc.) but I'm surprised noone is as outraged as I am by your post. I do believe Starbucks likes the business and goes out of its way to accomodate families and some people actually enjoy mingling with those that aren't exactly like them. Maybe it's YOU??