Restaurant goes viral for 'bad parenting' surcharge, reportedly up to $50

BLUE RIDGE, Ga. (WKRC) — A restaurant in Georgia is going viral for charging customers an extra fee for "bad parenting," along with other controversial policies.

Toccoa Riverside Restaurant's menu primarily features American-style cuisine with an emphasis on fresh seafood.

However, screenshots of terms listed at the bottom of the menu -- namely, an "Adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent" -- have been sparking mixed reactions on social media.

While an exact cost isn't listed, multiple reviewers condemning the practice claim they were charged up to $50. One Google review reads:

"If you have children, absolutely avoid this place at all costs. Holy moly - the most disrespectful owner made a huge scene in front of the entire restaurant because our children were 'running through the restaurant' - they were down by the river.. we were told we need to 'go to Burger King and Walmart' and that we were bad parents. They have a $50 surcharge for 'bad children.'"

"The owner came out and told me he was adding $50 to my bill because of my children’s behavior. My kids watched a tablet until the food arrived, ate their food and my wife took them outside while I waited and paid the bill," reads another.

"Don’t go if you have children. We were 3 adults, 2 children and our 4mo baby and since we entered to the place they gave us a bad look. Later my wife was rocking the baby (not crying, just to make him sleep) and this 'manager' told her that you don’t do that in a fancy restaurant (of course this is not a fancy restaurant) and later moved our stroller in a bad way," a third person said.

Toccoa has an average rating on Google of 4.1 stars, with over 2,000 reviews. Most seem to praise the quality of the food, the scenic views, and the courteous waitstaff.

However, a large portion of the negative reviews cite the owner's behavior, which they claim was "disrespectful" or "unprofessional" -- particularly if the restaurant was busy or if there was a problem with their order.

A repeating complaint is that, despite the restaurant claiming to have two "dog-friendly" areas, people relying on service animals were accosted or turned away.

"So me and my friends wanted to go to this place due to dog friendly service and atmosphere, even called the waitress to confirm before bringing our animal," a review reads. "Upon arrival a man with an orange vest (which later turned out to be the owner) approached me and my friends asking for 'certification' that the dog was a service animal. When we explained that there was no certification needed...he tried to impede us from entering. While my friends got by, I myself got blocked by the man and got [berated] for 'making his business be at risk due to him not wearing a vest' or 'that he dosent care that he's a veteran and that the county can fine them for the dog.'"

Another person wrote:

"Went to this restaurant...specifically because it was advertised as dog friendly. My disabled veteran friend with very noticeable prosthetic leg and SERVICE DOG with a full harness was with us. The owner was very argumentative about us bringing the dog into his establishment, claiming the dog needed documentation and a high viz vest not required by federal law. He corralled the smallest person in the group (not the guy with the service dog) and harassed her that the dog would cause problems. At no time did the dog act out or anything, laying by his handler's chair exactly as trained...So, take the 'dog friendly' claim with a grain of salt."

Users on Reddit have also pointed out that the menu says customers will be charged an extra 18% gratuity for parties over six people, parties that ask for separate checks, and parties that order from the birthday menu.

In addition, there is a $3 surcharge listed for sharing food. A note below specifies that the prices on the menu are for cash payments only, and says there will be an extra 3.5% charge for non-cash payments.

"They’re also adding a 3.5% surcharge for paying with a card and disguising it as a discount for paying with cash. Good way to lose your merchant account," a comment reads.

One user wrote, "Honestly, whoever wrote this sounds like a nightmare."