Applebee's Calls Police on Family With Noisy Kids

66,424 · September 21, 2013

After a Texas Applebee?s asked a family to leave because of its allegedly rowdy children this week, the incident prompted a fast moving chain of events: calls to the police, outcry from the family, explanation from the eatery chain, and an online debate about what constitutes inappropriate restaurant behavior.

"I feel disrespected," Lillian Maliti, mother of 3-year-old Ryan and 1-year-old Ethan, told KHOU News in Houston on Wednesday. "This has never happened in my life."

Maliti?s husband Eli Gau told the news station that his young kids are ?active,? and that they ?act like children." He added, ?I feel heartbroken. I feel very sad.?

According to a spokesperson for the Harris County Sheriff, the station first received a call at 10 p.m. from an Applebee?s employee who reported ?arguing? among the family in question. Six minutes later, Gau called the police to report that he and his family had been kicked out of the restaurant and that they felt ?threatened.? An officer met the family out in the parking lot, but did not file any charges, citations, or warnings.

Applebee?s issued a statement about the situation in Katy, Texas, to Yahoo Shine. "Our franchise owner-operator has apologized to the guest and invited the party back into their restaurant to demonstrate the standard of service each of our guests deserve to receive during every visit,? it read.

But it went on: ?As a brand, our focus is and must always be providing the best possible experience for all of our guests at all times. When a disruption in our restaurants affects any of our guests, it is the manager's responsibility to step in to resolve the situation. It is exceedingly rare that a situation requires the assistance of law enforcement, and our franchisee is using this instance as a teaching moment to better manage future disruptions in their restaurants.?

Local Applebee?s patrons, at least one of whom claimed to have been present that night, defended the restaurant through comments posted to KHOU?s online story.

?This child was not wandering around.... he was running around the restaurant screaming at guests as they tried to enjoy their meals. The whole time they were in the building,? wrote Randal Smith. ?Then the parents raised hell in front of the whole restaurant. This is funny to me since I witnessed the whole thing. Haha crazy people will do anything for attention/money.?

Another local resident, Shahira Mandy, wrote, ?I go to this establishment all the time and for these people to say they're racist is far from the truth. Their children were out of hand, the mom was probably embarrassed, and why do you have your kids out that late at night? I have only seen Applebee's call the police [in] extreme situations. I believe management did the right thing [in] asking that woman and her ill-mannered children to leave. Race has nothing to do with bad parenting.? :)

The debate on what is and is not acceptable restaurant behavior among children raged on through KHOU?s Facebook page, with a great many of the nearly 400 commenters siding with Applebee?s. One mom wrote, ?I have 3 kids and I cannot stand it when people let their kids act like heathens! My kids know to eat, not be loud, and keep that butt in the seat!?

Another echoed her sentiment. ?I have no sympathy here,? she wrote. ?I have raised 3 boys and I tell ya, I never hesitated to take care of business if either one of them acted up in ANY public place!!! I CANNOT STAND parents who allow their kids to act like animals!!?

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29,597 · September 21, 2013

The franchise owner should never have been forced to apologise. Families like that ruin it for everyone else and they need to learn a little damned respect for people other than their own selfish asses.

I'd have done the same, ask them to leave, and if they didn't, call the cops and have them dragged out.

5,544 · September 21, 2013

The franchise owner should never have been forced to apologise. Families like that ruin it for everyone else and they need to learn a little damned respect for people other than their own selfish asses.

I'd have done the same, ask them to leave, and if they didn't, call the cops and have them dragged out.

I agree. I HATE going out to eat and hear fussy ######ing kids.. If I go out to a restaurant, it will be after 8 or I will go to a sports bar.. I don't want to hear your ######ing snot nose ######ing kid while I relax and try to ######ing eat.

With that said, it was Ruby mother ######ing Tuesdays, So I wouldn't expect anything less.. lol I try to avoid those places at all cost because most likely they will have families.. with kids.. YUCK :x :x

So glad my wife doesn't want kids either :D

12,517 · September 21, 2013

Private establishment, they can kick out and trespass anyone they want.

66,424 · September 21, 2013

Good for Applebee's.

And screaming rude kids has nothing to do with 'race'. :rolleyes:

17,095 · September 21, 2013

If you can't keep your seed at the table, and quiet, then don't bring them out where you have others enjoying their time out.

29,597 · September 21, 2013

I agree. I HATE going out to eat and hear fussy ****ing kids.. If I go out to a restaurant, it will be after 8 or I will go to a sports bar.. I don't want to hear your ****ing snot nose ****ing kid while I relax and try to ****ing eat.

With that said, it was Ruby mother ****ing Tuesdays, So I wouldn't expect anything less.. lol I try to avoid those places at all cost because most likely they will have families.. with kids.. YUCK :x :x

So glad my wife doesn't want kids either :D

There's nothing intrinsically wrong with kids in a restaurant, just as long as they behave. My kids behave perfectly well in such places, and did even when they were the ages of the ones on the article.

5,544 · September 21, 2013

There's nothing intrinsically wrong with kids in a restaurant, just as long as they behave. My kids behave perfectly well in such places, and did even when they were the ages of the ones on the article.

I agree with you, and it is most of me being very easily annoyed more than anything.. If I can kids at another table, I will get out and walk out. lol But, I also try to avoid that by eating out later and going to places that you don't normally bring kids.

4,557 · September 21, 2013

out at 10pm with a 3 and 1 year old? good luck getting them to sleep and not wake up an hour later

definitely responsible parenting there.....

1,167 · September 21, 2013

"I feel disrespected," Lillian Maliti, mother of 3-year-old Ryan and 1-year-old Ethan, told KHOU News in Houston on Wednesday. "This has never happened in my life."

I bet the other customers and the staff felt disrespected by her and her family.

1,236 · September 21, 2013

I have to side with Applebee's on this. Too many times bad parents let their children run amok and/or being outrageously loud. That said, I think the following....1) The bad parents should not have had their children out that late to begin with. 2) If they can't control their kids, leave. 3) In general, don't be selfish and have respect for the people around you in such situations.

19,676 · September 21, 2013

Disrespected? Heartbroken? Something is clearly wrong with these people.

The emotion you should be feeling is embarrassment.

41,460 · September 22, 2013

Applebees did nothing wrong and the parents didn't do anything right. Maybe they should go back when they learn to parent.

9,667 · September 22, 2013

As a parent.. I am very strict with my kids when we go for dinner. They like to play which is fine, but they do like to climb under tables, and lay down in booths which I do not tolerate. I know I feel embarrassed (which many parent may think i shouldn't). If I was asked to leave, I would feel like I wasn't doing my job, I wasn't teaching my kids how to be respectful and behave when out.

3,673 · September 22, 2013

I cant imagine seeing what happened, with a child running around screaming, the whole family making an ordeal, all the employees being around.

11,851 · September 22, 2013

I applaud the manager for doing the things he did. Kids can potentally hurt themselves being allowed to run around like that. It was for everyone's benifit that that action was performed by the manager

1) The kids have to learn to behave in situations

2) The parents need to control them

3) The restaurant could have been sued if something happened to the kid

4) Ruining lots of meals. In both ways. If the kid runs into a waitress serving someone's food and the food gets spilled it will get on the guest, and might ruin clothes, phones, etc as well as waste food and wasted food = wasted money.

This is why around here I see more parents getting thier kids a tablet so they can play angry birds while the parents enjoy their meals and both parties are happy.

41,460 · September 22, 2013

This is why around here I see more parents getting thier kids a tablet so they can play angry birds while the parents enjoy their meals and both parties are happy.

An excellent idea. Distraction goes a long way with a child.

1,337 · September 22, 2013

Parents with noisy kids should be banned from everywhere.

By law.

September 23, 2013

Kids will be kids. As much as I hate loads of kids screaming and running around, its ultimately down to the parents to control their kids.

4,319 · September 23, 2013

We sometimes get a nice coffee shop or eatery open up where I stay. Only for 3 months down the line the place to be over run with Mum`s with a toddler/pram.

Which kinda sucks as on a nice day when I finish at 4pm, its nice to come back to my local area and sit and have a coffee/drink in one of these places.

Tho you can`t cause 75% (or there abouts) of the customers are Mums who are immune to the sound/annoyance of there child, and act with a god given right of entitlement, despite the fact there paying zero attention to the child whilst it screams its lungs out or runs around the tables.

In fact theres one place I wont name, but the amount of times Ive been in and someone brings a child in, only for the staff to all then stop work and huddle round for 20mins to inspect the child, or talk shite to mum while child runs about is insane. Shame aswell cause its a tasty wee place to eat, thus why I go back.

Distinctly remember the threat of being knocked the ###### out, if I misbehaved like these Mums allow there kids to do, and whats worse is theres a growing trend amongst the "better off" mothers now to ignore your child aswell.

9,715 · September 23, 2013

I don't go out to restaurants because of the behaviour of other diners and their rowdy off-spring.

I am also getting ###### off with these adult allowing their off-spring to treat the supermarket like a playground.

It's always the same families where I live.

There are some very well behaved families that use the supermarket and restaurants, however, the bad outweigh the good!

11,851 · September 23, 2013

This place keeps a baby under the cash register and the cook goes around calling everyone 'fool'

http://www.yelp.com/biz/harolds-chicken-shack-madison

Really... a baby under the cash register?

Here's another depressing looking place glad it closed:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/lanchis-restaurant-superior

4,319 · September 23, 2013

I am also getting ****ed off with these adult allowing their off-spring to treat the supermarket like a playground.

It's always the same families where I live.

There are some very well behaved families that use the supermarket and restaurants, however, the bad outweigh the good!

+1, having kids run mental in the supermarket, really great parenting!!

Remember some kids getting into one of those big football sack/display things. Needless to say, about 30-40 footballs of various sizes and colour bouncing down the aisles.

9,715 · September 23, 2013

+1, having kids run mental in the supermarket, really great parenting!!

Remember some kids getting into one of those big football sack/display things. Needless to say, about 30-40 footballs of various sizes and colour bouncing down the aisles.

ASDA Kings Hill, is where it is at.

Soon as it's junior school chucking out time or a weekend they're at it.

43,879 · September 23, 2013

A friend of mine has a kid who wanted to go to the park near my house.. the conversation went something like this

Kid: Mom can I go to the park

Mom :NO

Kid: Mom can I go to the park

Mom :NO

Kid: Mom can I go to the park

Mom :I SAID NO!!!!!

Kid: Mom can I go to the park

Mom :NO......OK fine go to the park.

......

Every morning when she wakes the daughter up for school (They are temporary staying with me, it goes something like this.)

Mom: Wake up!!!