Hugh: 76% of Canadians Think More Restaurants Should be Child-Free

The idea of child-free spaces has gotten more popular recently, and if you think more places should have policies refusing service to children, you’re certainly not alone. A recent study found that more than 76% of Canadians think the idea of child-free restaurants is “great, and should be adopted by other restaurants.” Compare that to just under 16% of respondents who said such a policy is “not great, but fair” and fewer than 8% that think it’s “unfair and discriminatory” to exclude kids.

So, given that there is clearly a large appetite for more child-free spaces, at what age do you draw the line? Earlier this year, an Italian restaurant in New Jersey got a lot of attention online for implementing a policy banning children under 10 from coming in. Then, a Pennsylvania Chick-Fil-A banned anyone under 16 from entering unless they’re with an adult. In some places, liquor laws restrict entrance to those under legal drinking age after a certain hour, effectively turning businesses into child-free zones later in the evening. There are clearly many options on the table for businesses, and I’m sure everyone has their own preference.